Finesse
by Dr. Trunks Briefs
Summary: When Mirai Gohan decides to take up teaching at Orange Star High School, keeping secrets suddenly becomes a lot harder for one young hybrid. Will Mirai Gohan’s good intentions destroy his younger counterpart’s relationship with Videl? Or help it?
1. I Took A Walk Around The World

Finesse

Summary: When Mirai Gohan decides to take up teaching at Orange Star High School, keeping secrets suddenly becomes a lot harder for one young hybrid. Will Mirai Gohan's good intentions destroy his younger counterpart's relationship with Videl? Or help it?

Sequel to _Impasse_.

Rated: T

Author's notes: Here it is, folks! _Impasse_'s long-awaited (yeah, "long awaited") sequel has arrived! If you haven't read _Impasse_ yet, _Finesse_ MIGHT be a little confusing. I've tried to make it the least confusing as possible to first-time readers.

I'm sorry if some of you are ticked about it coming out the day after _Impasse_ finished, but patience just really isn't my thing.

Enjoy!

-

Gohan smiled as Orange Star High School came into view. After the long summer, Gohan was ready for a good break away from home. He preferred the social interaction with his friends to the solitary confinement that his mother seemed to put him through. It's not that he didn't enjoy studying or anything- he just liked studying with other people more.

Even if he had to hide his real talents from those other people.

The young hybrid landed softly on the rooftop of his high school and transformed from his Saiyaman uniform back into his school clothes.

'So cool!' Gohan thought to himself with a grin and pushed the roof door open. It had been about seven years since the defeat of Cell and the androids. Mirai Trunks, Mirai Gohan (otherwise referred to as 'Majunior'), and little Pan returned to their own timeline. It was unknown to the Z Fighters of the Alternate Timeline whether or not the time travelers had made things right, but Gohan was sure that they were fine.

After all, all three of them were Super Saiyans. Not only that, but Trunks and Majunior were _ascended_ Super Saiyans and Pan was extremely quick on her feet (even though she only had one foot, courtesy of an accident when she was only three. Her other foot was replaced with a bionic one which- in Gohan's opinion- was cooler than a stub).

Gohan hummed happily and strolled into the cafeteria where his fellow teens were eating breakfast. He sought out his three friends: Bubbly Erasa, the jock, Sharpner, and the friendly neighborhood crime fighter, the "one and only" Videl Satan. Gohan would often stop and wonder where he had heard that name before, but he would promptly shake it off. She's famous. Maybe he heard it on television or something.

He tossed his yellow messenger back in a seat and plopped down into the one next to it.

"Hey, Gohan!" Erasa greeted happily. She immediately scooted her chair across the tiled floor towards him. He immediately scooted away.

"Hey, Erasa," he flashed a stunning smile at her. She almost melted into a pile of goo.

"Aren't you looking handsome today?" she grinned. Gohan turned away bashfully.

"Aw, geez, Erasa. I bet you said that to even old Sharpner over there." Said blonde jock snorted.

"You're hilarious, Brains." Gohan chuckled. He looked over to Videl and lurched back slightly. Yep, she was glaring at him full force.

"H-hey, Videl," he waved timidly. She was scary, even for a human. She could probably scare Freeza away with that look.

"Hey, Gohan," she replied and leaned back in her seat. Gohan let out a sigh of relief when she turned her head to stare at something else.

"Hey, Son, do you have your schedule?" Sharpner asked. Gohan nodded and tossed the other boy the sheet of blue paper. Sharpner swung his legs off the cafeteria table and unfolded his own blue paper to compare them. "Hmm, you have first period Math with us, too, then." Videl looked over curiously.

"He has Gym with me second period," she smirked and looked up to see Gohan's face. The hybrid's eye twitched slightly, but he covered it up with a yawn. Videl chewed the inside of her cheek. "What's wrong, _Gohan_?" She said the name a little harder than usual, the way she usually does when she's trying to catch him in a lie. "Didn't get enough sleep last night?"

"Well he _does_ live a really long way away, Viddy. He probably had to get up at… like, four in the morning!" Erasa answered for him. Gohan thanked Dende silently. If it weren't for Erasa answering Videl's questions for him so much, she would have probably figured him all out by now. Videl rolled her periwinkle blues and cocked an eyebrow at Erasa.

"How do you travel wearing _that_?" she asked in a disgusted tone and pointed to Erasa's attire. The blonde girl giggled.

"I have a jacket, silly! Besides, it's only September! It's not _that_ cold!" she pointed at a girl wearing a red and black striped sweatshirt. Gohan followed her finger lazily to where, indeed, a teenage girl was sitting alone nearby, wearing a sweatshirt and black jeans. Gohan frowned slightly. She looked so lonely.

The bell rang shrilly, indicating that the students should head for their first period classes. Gohan pulled his messenger bag's strap over his head and looked back to where the girl was sitting, but she was already gone. He sighed and looked back at his friends.

"Move, Son," Sharpner demanded and pushed the hybrid out of the way. Gohan pretended to stumble, just to humor the human boy. The quartet made their way through the crowds of teenagers and, finally, made it to the hallway, where they continued to the Junior Math Hall.

"Hey, Viddy, I got something nice for your birthday!" Erasa teased. Videl shifted her books to her other arm. "You'll love it! It's right up your alley!"

"What is it?" the raven haired girl questioned. Erasa giggled.

"I can't tell you, silly!"

"You're not going to take me on another girl date, are you?" Videl groaned.

"No, I could tell how miserable you were the last time…"

"When's your birthday?" Gohan asked quietly.

"October twenty-fifth!" Erasa answered for her. Gohan's breath hitched in his throat.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Day of the Cell Games. Get it all out of your system," Videl sighed, as if she'd heard it a million times.

"…I'm sorry," Gohan whispered. Videl looked up at him incredulously.

"Sorry? For what?"

"Well, with your birthday on the day your dad beat Cell, you must not get a lot of recognition because everyone's so excited about Hercule's victory instead." Videl stared up at him with wide eyes. He cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"Well, usually people gush over how awesome it is to have my birthday the same day Dad beat Cell… I just wasn't expecting you to _apologize_." Gohan blinked.

"Oh…"

Sharpner scoffed and slapped Gohan on his back. "Yeah, Brains here is a real wild card."

"Oooh, I love spontaneous men! We should go on a date sometime," Erasa mumbled in a suggestive tone.

Gohan rolled his eyes. Erasa laughed and brushed her arm against his. "Yeah, Gohan, I'm serious! You and I should totally go to the movies or something…"

"Erasa, you're way too hot to beg," Sharpner ran a hand through his long blonde hair.

"Mmm, but I think I'll have to make an exception for him," she purred and poked Gohan's chest. The hybrid laughed nervously.

"In other news," Videl slapped Erasa's hand away. She poked her fat, glossy pink lips out in a pout. Videl couldn't help but smirk. "In other news, I hear there's a new teacher _and _a new student."

"Oh, yeah? What's the teacher teach?" Gohan asked idly.

"Math- our next class, actually," she answered. Sharpner shoved Gohan playfully.

"Only you would be interested in what the new teacher teaches, Booknerd! Who's the new kid?"

"I don't know. Some girl with a really weird name. I can't even remember it. Piper, or something," Videl answered.

"Ooh, a girl! Is she hot?!" Sharpner leaned in. Videl glared at him and elbowed him in the ribs. "Aw, come on, on a scale of One-to-Videl, how hot is she?" The teenage crime fighter elbowed him again. When the four reached the door, the bell rang.

"Oh, man, we're going to be late!" Gohan bit his lip habitually.

"Gohan, don't do that! You'll ruin your lips! Want some lip balm? You can use some of mine- oh, darn! I left the stick in my locker! Here, just kiss me and-"

"No, Erasa!" Videl separated the two. Gohan thanked her quietly. "Jesus Christ, you're like a cat in heat." Videl glared at the other girl. Erasa only giggled.

Gohan pushed the door open and stopped dead in his tracks. He stared wide-eyed at the new teacher, who only smirked at him in return.

"Oooh, the new teacher is hot!" Erasa whispered to Videl. The three humans pushed past Gohan's frozen form.

"Have a seat, Mr. Son," the new teacher ordered coolly. Gohan began to tremble. The new teacher walked up to him slowly and waved a hand in front of his eyes, snapping the hybrid out of his trance. "Are you alright?" Gohan nodded slowly. The new teacher smirked again. "Good. Now, then. Take your seat."

"Y-Yes, t-teach-cher…" Gohan stuttered. He walked numbly to his seat near his friends, who eyed him strangely. The teacher walked back to the front of the classroom and stuffed his hands into his black jacket. He smiled at his young students.

"Good. Hello, class, I'm your new Algebra II teacher, Majunior Son. It's nice to meet you all."

Gohan was gnawing on his lip by now. 'Why's he here? What happened? Is Pan okay? Is Trunks okay? Did he destroy the androids?' A soft hand landed on his shoulder.

"Hey, hey Gohan!" Videl whispered. "Calm down. Is he related to you or something?"

Gohan stopped gnawing on his lip and looked over at her, then at the hand on his shoulder. Videl pulled it away and glared up at him, "Because if something fishy's going on, I'll find out about it."

"Hey!" Majunior shouted, "No whispering. If you have something to say in my class, then say it."

"I think Gohan's sick," Erasa said, bending around Videl's frame to see the hybrid's face. Gohan frowned defiantly.

"I'm not sick, I'm fine, just a little…" he looked back up at Majunior, questions in his eyes. Majunior met them with a studious expression. "I mean, I need to talk to you after class, Maj-… Mr. Son." The teacher nodded and sat on the corner of his desk.

"Alright. So, it's the first day of school, September fifteenth, blah-blah-blah… No, I'm not going to ask you all to tell me something about yourselves other than your names, because quite frankly, I don't care." Some of the students made little disapproving sounds.

"He's not going to make us work on the first day of school, is he?" Erasa mumbled.

"No, Erasa, I'm not. It's stupid for any teacher to expect work out of a sixteen/seventeen year old mind after two and a half months of it rotting. Just, tell me your names right now. You, in the front, start," Majunior pointed to a student in the front right desk.

Gohan leaned forward and placed his head in his hands. He closed his eyes, attempting to concentrate. 'Okay, if Mage is here, that means that at least Pan is here. If I concentrate, I can feel her energy…' Soon enough, he located the little girl's energy signal. 'There… geez, she's not hiding it, either. Why didn't I notice it before? Why didn't I notice Mage's energy? Man, Vegeta's right, I have to be getting soft…'

"Gohan."

'I mean, it's not like I haven't been training, it's just that there hasn't been a lot of reason to train _hard_ like we used to.'

"Gohan…"

'And the only time I really need to locate a person via energy is when I'm either running from Videl or finding the bad guys while we're fighting crime. Though, she doesn't know it's me, heh…' a small smile pulled at his lips. He opened his eyes. His heart skipped a beat and he flew back in his chair.

"Gah! Man, you're quiet!" Gohan exclaimed before he could think. He clamped his hands over his mouth. Majunior smirked.

"Good morning to you, too. Want some toast? There's milk in the fridge."

"No, I already ate, thanks," Gohan said and laughed nervously, putting his hand on the back of his head. The kids around them snickered. Majunior was kneeling in front of Gohan's desk, his arms folded and his chin resting on his arms. The teacher chuckled and lifted himself up.

"Good, then pay attention, at least until you're out of my class. After that, I don't care if you listen or not."

"Oh, but Gohan's the 'Perfect Test Score' student. He's probably only _in_ high school because his mama told him he needs to meet friends," Sharpner smirked and leaned his chair back on its two back legs and put his two legs on top of his desk. Gohan lowered his head slightly. Majunior drew his lips into a fine line and looked over to Sharpner.

"Hey, do you know about the law of gravity, by any chance?" Majunior wondered idly and strolled over to Sharpner's desk a few feet away. Sharpner's lip twitched, as if to say something, but he stayed silent. Majunior stopped in front of Sharpner's desk and leaned on it with one hand. "Because I do, Sherman Pencil."

Sharpner's eyes widened and he pushed off of the desk, but his chair fell backwards, taking him with it. He landed on his back with a thud. Sharpner shook his head, whether to get the dizziness out or the sound of the other students' laughter out, and looked up at the teacher.

"You're not going to pick on other kids in my class, Mr. Pencil, because if you do, then I'll have to settle the score by picking on you."

At this moment, the bell chose to rang, and the students picked up their bags and notebooks and filed out into the low rumble that was the hall. Majunior looked over his shoulder, where Gohan was still sitting quietly, head lowered. Majunior sat in Videl's seat next to him. Gohan lifted his head slightly.

"Why are you here?" he asked softly.

"What, you're not happy to see me?" Majunior answered just as softly.

"It's not that I'm not happy to see you, it's just… Trunks said that you guys would only come back if something happened in your timeline that would keep you from living there comfortably…"

"Nothing happened, Gohan. Trunks is actually in our timeline now. He's the head of Capsule Corporation now, you know, and he found the blueprints to Bulma's time machine. He made a new one so we could come see you. Pan is here, too, you know." Gohan nodded.

"I know, I felt her energy. But what's she doing here? Isn't she just… you know, a kid?" Gohan lifted his head completely, curiosity gracing every curve and crevice of his face. Majunior chuckled softly.

"No, Gohan, she's not a little kid. She's your age- well, thanks to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, she's sixteen… what are you, eighteen? Almost nineteen?" Gohan nodded softly.

"But my birth certificate says I'm seventeen, so that's how old I am to the other kids and teachers. Please, don't let it slip," he looked up at Majunior pleadingly. His older counterpart merely smiled.

"Why would I let something that would make you unhappy out to the public?"

"Well, you offered me toast and milk, but I didn't see any," Gohan pouted playfully. Majunior laughed.

"So, what?! You said you already ate!" Majunior whapped the side of Gohan's head. Gohan grinned, but it faded quickly into seriousness.

"Tell me why you're here, Mage. It can't be just to see me. What's the reason?" Majunior's smile fell, too, and he stared at Gohan solemnly.

"Well, when I snapped, I was your age, so…" Gohan's eyes widened in horror.

"Oh, no, you think… you think I'm going to… kill people?" he asked quietly. Majunior bit his lip and looked down.

"I don't want it to happen any more than you do, kid, but I'm ready for when it happens, if it does." Gohan swallowed the lump in his throat and started to ring his hands nervously.

"That's why Pan is here," he mumbled. "To help you stop me if I do." Majunior nodded.

"That and she wanted to see you." Gohan laughed softly and looked up. The bell rang shrilly, indicating that all students should be in their next period classes. Majunior stood from Videl's previous chair and walked to the front of the classroom, Gohan in tow. "Second period is my planning period, so I won't have any kids coming in for about an hour. Your next period is Gym, right?" he looked over his shoulder. Gohan nodded. "Good, then that works out. Pan's next period is Gym, too. I'm sure she'll be pretty easy to spot. Here, I'll write you a note so you can get into your next class." Majunior ripped a post-it note off of a little stack and scribbled on it. He then stuck it to Gohan's forehead. The teenager glared lightly, making his older counterpart laugh.

Videl closed her agape mouth and looked away from the two raven haired men in the classroom, not believing all that she just heard. She shifted her books to her other arm and started jogging toward her Gym class.

-

TBC…

Alright! Here's chapter one! Oooh- what will happen, what will happen? You'll find out if you review! Tell me what you think of this beginning!

Reviews = Next Chapter

-don darko.


	2. To Ease My Troubled Mind

Finesse

Author's note: Hey! I hope you guys like _Finesse_ so far! I'm so excited to hear all your questions and comments. Here comes chapter two!

-

"Sorry I'm late, Coach…" Videl apologized distractedly. The coach nodded and smiled, showing off his dimples.

"We all know how busy you are, Videl. Go on in to the locker rooms and change; don't worry about it." Videl nodded and jogged into the girls' locker room. The large blue door slid to a slow shut behind her. She walked around the corner and stopped.

"O-oh, sorry. I thought everyone else had changed already," a girl apologized quickly. She pulled her arms out of her red and black striped sweater before pulling it over her head and tossing it onto the bench. Videl shook her head and did the same. She pulled her gym bag out of her locker and dropped it on the floor next to the other girl's.

"I don't think I've seen you around here before," Videl stated. The girl offered a weak smile.

"I'm new," she replied. She hesitated with her pants button and slid her large brown eyes over to Videl. Videl popped her button open swiftly and yanked her pants down, eager to change into her gym clothes and get out as soon as possible. The girl swallowed the lump in her throat and yanked her own pants down. Videl noticed the jerky action and glanced over. She gasped. The girl's right leg was missing from about mid-thigh. The rest was replaced expertly by a bionic limb.

"W-what happened to your leg?" Videl pulled her gym shorts up and turned to the other girl. She was trembling. "Are you okay?" Videl leaned in to see her face.

"I-I'm fine," the girl mumbled and pulled on her gym shorts and tank top. Videl furrowed her eyebrows.

"You're sweating," Videl noted.

"It's just hot in here," the girl said and tied her sneakers. Videl nodded, agreeing, and pulled on her own tank top and sneakers.

"So, what happened to your leg?" The gym shorts did nothing to hide the girl's prosthetic limb. The girl sat on the bench and lowered her head, unable to look at the crime fighter. Videl could almost hear the girl's heart banging against her chest. Videl sat next to her and placed a hand on the girl's back.

"It was just an accident when I was a baby," the girl mumbled. She looked up at Videl through her eyelashes. Videl inclined her head to see the rest of the girl's face.

She was pretty in her own way, Videl supposed. She was obviously not a girly-girl, much like Videl, herself. Her face was heart-shaped, her eyes big and light brown, her lips not really voluptuous, but not really thin either. Her nose was narrow and her eyebrows weren't waxed, but they didn't need to be. Her hair was long, silky, and thrown over one shoulder. Her skin was smooth and tan. She wasn't wearing any makeup as far as Videl could tell.

In short, the girl looked almost exactly like Videl, herself.

"Want to talk about it?" Videl asked softly. The girl looked up, meeting Videl's periwinkle blues. Videl furrowed her eyebrows. Where had she seen those eyes before?

"N-no, it's okay. I'm just… nervous- you know, about what the other kids will say… about…" she looked down at her leg. Videl nodded in understanding.

"Don't worry, just stick with me. If anyone gives you grief about it, they'll have Hell to pay." The girl smiled softly. Videl couldn't help but smile back, "What's your name, kid?"

"Pan Son," the girl replied. Videl's eyes widened.

"Any relation to Gohan Son?" The girl bit her lip and shook her head.

"Ah, yes, he's my cousin," Pan answered slowly. Videl's eyes narrowed slightly.

"And Majunior Son?"

"He's my father. He started teaching this year. He's teaching Algebra II for Juniors."

"Hah, yeah, then I had him for first period today," Videl grinned and stood up, deciding she'd confront the other girl about the conversation she had earlier at another time. Pan smiled back and stood up beside her. Videl tilted her head. They were even the same height. "I'm Videl Satan, by the way," she mumbled. Pan nodded.

"Nice to meet you, V-Videl." Videl grinned again and slung an arm around the other girl's shoulders and led her out of the locker room.

When they exited, the gym became more and more silent. Everyone turned to stare, even the coach. Was _Videl Satan_, the school's Ice Queen, actually being friendly to another student?

"Somebody alert the Press," a jock joked.

"Alright everyone, back to your stretches! And make it snappy, I've got an announcement to make!" the coach shouted. The others immediately returned to their stretching.

Pan followed nervously along Videl's side. The blue-eyed girl's arm over her shoulders was like static electricity on contact. As the two strolled across the gym, Pan could hear the other girls whispering behind their hands.

"Look at her leg!" a redhead whispered to a brunette. The brunette nodded.

"See how the metal pinches her skin? That's so gross!" Pan almost glanced down to peek at the flaw.

"Hey, Son!" Videl shouted, knocking Pan out of her reverie. The brown-eyed girl's head shot up at the surname. Videl chuckled, "Not you, Pan. My friends and I call Gohan by his surname." Gohan looked up from his toe touches and grinned.

"Panny!" he exclaimed and jumped to his feet. Pan grinned as well and nearly jumped into the boy's arms.

"Gohan!" she said excitedly and hugged him tightly around the torso. Videl shifted her weight from one foot to the other idly, letting the two family members have their little love-fest. She looked up at Gohan and narrowed her eyes. If she recalled the conversation between him and his supposed uncle- and Videl Satan's memory was nothing to sneeze at- Gohan _had_ to be in some kind of gang or something, and if it was malicious gang activity, he would have to be disposed of. She looked over to Pan and frowned. Was she in on it, too? Being part of Gohan's family, she'd have to know something.

"You're looking great, Panny," Gohan pulled away and gave the girl a quick once-over. Pan laughed softly.

"You're not looking too bad yourself there. Still taller than me, I see."

"I'll _always_ be taller than you. Unless, of course, you wear stilts or something."

"Eh, I can still kick your scrawny butt." Videl chuckled at this. Gohan looked up at her and smiled.

"I see you met Videl already," Gohan noted. Pan looked over her shoulder at the other girl and nodded.

"Yeah! I'm surprised you two know each other already- oops…" Pan clamped a hand over her mouth. Gohan cocked an eyebrow.

"What do you mean 'already'? We've been going to school together for almost a year, now," Videl watched the girl suspiciously. Pan laughed nervously.

"Oh, yeah?! Say, how long have you been going to Orange Star High, Gohan?" A bead of sweat rolled down Pan's forehead. Gohan bit his lower lip in thought.

"I started coming late last school year- this passed May, I think. Yeah, cause it was right after my birthday." Pan sighed in relief, having avoided that questionnaire. She didn't want to ruin everything already.

"Great!"

"Gather 'round, kids," the coach called. Videl motioned for the two Sons to follow her. "Now, you all know what next month is…" the coach began. A soft rumble of whispers glided throughout the student body, "…and we're all very excited. And, since the Champ's daughter is in our Gym class this year…" Videl sighed and glanced over to Pan, but the other girl didn't even flinch at the news. Videl smiled. "…The Champ decided that it'd be great for us if he came to _our_ class, starting tomorrow, and taught you all his style of Martial Arts!"

The students cheered and jumped around in excitement. Videl looked back over to Pan and furrowed here eyebrows.

Pan and Gohan didn't look the least bit excited. In fact, they looked like they were in despair, especially Gohan. 'This has to do something with that conversation he and Mr. Son had this morning,' Videl thought. Pan glanced over and smiled weakly.

"So… hurray?" she offered. Gohan sighed and placed a hand to his forehead.

"Hurray…" he mumbled in a defeated tone.

"Hurray," Videl mumbled distractedly.

What were these two?

-

The rest of the school day went on without much more excitement. Before the students knew it, their breezy first day of school ended with the bell's shrill ring. Gohan closed his locker door after piling his new textbooks inside and placed his forehead against the cold green metal. He released a heavy sigh. He trudged up the stairs to the school roof.

"Hey, kid," Majunior called out from his perch on the ledge overlooking OSH's front lawn. Gohan looked up and smiled. Pan waved from her father's side.

"Want us to accompany you home?" Pan offered. Gohan nodded rapidly.

"Yeah, and there's someone I want you two to meet!" he exclaimed excitedly. Majunior laughed and hopped up from the ledge. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a purple capsule.

"Alright, get in the copter," Majunior ordered, opening the capsule. Gohan looked at him in confusion.

"What? Why don't we just-"

"No, silly, we can't get to your house by _car_, it'll take hours!" Pan said slowly, glancing to her left every now and then. Gohan turned his head to where she was glancing, but Majunior stopped him by pulling him over to the jet copter.

"Get in, children," he ordered. Gohan got in mechanically, followed by Pan and Majunior. As the jet copter took off, Gohan peeked out of the window and sighed in relief.

"Thanks, guys," he mumbled and watched as Videl sighed frustratedly and walked back into the school. Pan met Majunior's glance. The man smiled. Pan looked up at the sky dreamily. Gohan tilted his head, lost in the silent conversation. "You two know something that I don't," he mumbled.

"We're from the future; of course we know things that you don't," Pan smiled happily. Gohan rolled his eyes.

"Well, yeah, but…" he let the conversation go, seeing as the girl had a point. "So, how's the Original Timeline, now that we're in private?"

"Great," Majunior smiled softly, "We destroyed Cell and the androids as soon as we got back. Ever since, we've been doing better and better. The King finally got a good grip on society…"

"King of the World?" Gohan cocked an eyebrow. Pan nodded.

"Yeah, he's the leader of the government."

"Yeah. And, Trunks got a doctorate in psychology and sociology and took over Capsule Corporation for his mom," Majunior continued. Gohan nodded. "And Panny here started school back." Pan scowled.

"It's not nearly as great as school is for you, Gohan." Gohan laughed.

"Everything's been cleaning up nicely. It's almost the way it used to be," Majunior let his voice trail off softly. Pan placed a hand on his arm.

"…What about you, Mage? How's life for you?" Gohan asked after a moment. Majunior smiled.

"Good news is: I found a cure for Bipolar disorder. Bad news is: It requires dying and being brought back to life by seven magical balls." He glanced over to Gohan, who was staring out the window silently. "…I'm sorry, kid," Majunior mumbled. Gohan shook his head.

"Not your fault," he replied softly. "It's bound to happen sometime."

"What, going crazy or dying?" Majunior joked weakly. Gohan laughed dryly.

"Both, I guess." Pan held his hand tightly. Majunior glanced over and pouted.

"What, not gonna hold my hand? I'm sad too, you know."

"Watch the sky," Pan rolled her eyes. Gohan chuckled.

-

"_Big Brother's home! Big Brother's home! Big Brother's home! _**MAMA!** **Big Brother's home and he's got a girl with 'im!**" Goten bounced up and down at the doorway. His bouncing came to an abrupt stop, however, when his mother nearly ran him over to get outside to see the girl.

"A girl?! Oooh, grandchildr- oh, Dende!" Chichi clamped a hand over her mouth and widened her big brown eyes. "Ma-Mage! Panny!!" Chichi hugged the two time travelers tightly. Gohan scooped his little brother up and the little boy gave him a right hug.

"Who're they, Brother?" Goten asked innocently and cocked his head to the side. Gohan grinned.

"You remember me telling you the story about the four people who came back in time to save us?" Gohan ruffled Goten's spiky black hair affectionately. Goten nodded.

"Woooow! That's them?!" Goten looked over to the two time travelers in awe. Majunior looked over Chichi's shoulder curiously.

"Who…?"

"Oh, where's my manners?!" Chichi exclaimed and stopped fretting over how much Pan grew. "This is Goten… your little brother, Mage!" Majunior tilted his head and walked up to the little boy perched in his counterpart's arms. Goten watched him, mouth slightly agape.

"Hi, I'm Goten," he mumbled softly. "I'm seven."

"Hi, I'm Gohan," Majunior replied. "I'm thirty-five."

"Hi, I'm Pan," Pan shook the child's hand gently. "I'm sixteen."

Goten's eyes were shining with pure excitement. "Big Brother's told me lots of things about you." Majunior chuckled.

"Good things, I hope." Goten nodded promptly.

"Yeah! Like… like… you came here in a _big_ machine! And you killed Freeza and King Cold in less than like… twenty minutes! And you have the coolest leg ever! And you us'ta have a defibrator-"

"Defibrillator," Gohan corrected. Goten nodded.

"De-defib-…fibrillator that controlled your moods! But-but you took it _out_ and then you got on the androids' side and fought Older Trunks and then you stabbed yourself and… and…"

"Okay, okay, why don't you two come inside? Goten and I made cookies," Chichi smiled and ushered everyone in. Goten was still recalling the story he'd heard so many times, but when the occasional scene that was impossible to retell, he would reenact it, sound effects and everything.

"Cute kid," Majunior smiled at his counterpart. Gohan nodded.

"Just like his dad…"

-

"Gohan, I can't have you coming home so late all the time!" Chichi fussed after the five of them finished dinner. Pan helped her with the dishes graciously. "I mean, by the time you get here its dinnertime. Then you have to get a bath and do your homework and then go to bed, and then in the mornings it's such a rush…"

"He can stay with us during the week, Mom," Majunior offered. Chichi glanced over to him. "Yeah, we live right in Orange Star… I mean, Satan City, I guess it's called now. We have space in our apartment; it's no trouble, really." Chichi looked at the man as if an angel had come to Earth.

"Really? I mean, really, Mage? Oh, that'd be so wonderful! But… I don't know how I feel about him being away for so long," Chichi placed a finger to her chin and looked over at her first born sadly.

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll make him stay here on weekends and holidays so he can spend plenty of time with you and the squirt. I'll call you and ask you for permission for him to do or enter anything and I'll make him call you daily."

"Oh, thank you, Mage! I don't know how I could ever repay you for this… it's such a huge help to Gohan's education!" Chichi was nearly dancing around the kitchen. Mage grinned.

"It's no trouble, really, Mom. It'll really help Pan, too. She needs interaction with people her own age," Majunior assured and glanced over to Pan, who was mocking him playfully. He tossed a dishrag at her head.

"Gohan, dear, go upstairs and pack your bags. Remember to pack your toothbrush and clean underwear- oh! And don't forget your shampoo!" Chichi ushered her first born up the stairs in a hurry.

"W-what? I'm leaving tonight?"

"Well, yes, unless you want to tote all your bags with you tomorrow to school-"

"I'm going to pack," Gohan said and jogged up the stairs. Majunior followed behind quietly.

Upon entering the room, age caught Gohan folding shirts and pants into a blue duffel bag.

"Knock knock," he mumbled and stepped inside. Gohan grinned at him.

"Hey, thanks for letting me stay at your place. At least now I have a reasonable distance to travel to school, according to my friends." He shoved his socks and clean underwear into the bag. Majunior nodded absent mindedly.

"This room brings back memories," he mumbled. Gohan looked up briefly and smiled. Majunior walked around the room, letting his fingertips glide along random pieces of furniture. He stopped at the desk. He looked over his shoulder to his counterpart. "Mind if I rummage through your stuff?"

"Go ahead, I don't have anything you don't have," Gohan replied while debating whether or not he should bring his fighting uniform. He decided to stuff it into his bag as well. Majunior smirked and looked back to the desk. He hooked his fingers around a drawer handle and yanked it open gently.

There was nothing of severe interest inside; only a few pens and loose paper. Majunior shifted through the papers idly, noting that most of them dated back to the Cell Games. He felt an icy pang in his gut as a small slip of paper fell out. A picture of himself and another woman graced the front. He glanced over his shoulder at Gohan, then back down at the photo.

It was old and faded, but there were no new rips or stains on it. The boy must have shoved the photo into that drawer years ago and has long since forgotten about it.

'So, he won't mind if I take it back, will he?' Majunior glanced over his shoulder again. Gohan was zipping up his duffel bag. Silently, he slipped the photo into his pocket and shut the drawer.

"Okay," Gohan mumbled and capsulated the duffel bag. He looked up at his counterpart and grinned. "Ready when you are." Majunior nodded and the two headed back down the stairs.

-

TBC…

Okay, here you go, guys. Sorry that I didn't update sooner- I've been obsessing over my brand spankin' new tablet. Speaking of which, if you guys want to see some DBZ art (and _Impasse/Finesse_ art, just go back to my Fanfiction profile and click on my "homepage". It'll take you to my Deviant Art gallery, where you can view some arts by me and some of my favorite arts by other artists).

Anyway, next chapter coming at you soon. Just make sure you review!

Reviews = Next Chapter.

-don darko.


	3. I Left My Body Lying Somewhere

Finesse

Author's note: To **DekaFire** (who, unfortunately, did not leave me an email address to answer his/her question with personally): The reason I call him "Majunior" instead of "Ma Jr." is because of the same reason I call Erasa "Erasa" instead of "Eresa" or "Ireeza", Sharpner "Sharpner" instead of "Shapner", Korin "Korin" instead of "Karin", Bulma "Bulma" instead of "Buruma", Krillen "Krillen" instead of "Kuririn", etc. etc. "Majunior" is the same as "Ma Jr.", it's just spelled differently.

I hope this doesn't confuse (or offend) anyone else. I just hope I cleared it all up ;D

-

Sunlight flitted into the small room gently through the curtains. One young hybrid snored softly and nuzzled deeper into the soft pillow. Yes, all was peaceful in the little Son apartment.

"Goooo-haaaaan~" called a gentle voice. Gohan wrinkled his nose and turned away from the invading sound. "Rise 'n shine, Mutant!" The warm blankets were ripped away from him cruelly. Gohan groaned and opened his eyes slowly, allowing them to adjust to the morning light.

"Good morning, Mage," he mumbled sleepily. Majunior smirked.

"Good, you know where you are. Now, put your feet on the floor…" Gohan swung his legs around to the edge of the bed and placed his feet on the cold wooden floor. Majunior smiled victoriously. "Paaa-aaan~"

Gohan smiled as he watched his older counterpart leave the room and enter the one across the hallway. He glanced over his shoulder out of the large window, catching sight of three little bluebirds frolicking in the sunlight.

For some reason or another, the two time travelers had rented a three-bedroom apartment rather than a two-bedroom one. Gohan shrugged.

'They probably planned it. Mage wants to keep as close of an eye on me as he possibly can. Jeez, was it really that bad?' he thought to himself and looked up at the ceiling.

"Gyaah! Daaad!" the young hybrid heard his future daughter scream from the other room. Not twenty seconds after, Majunior came flying out of the doorframe, followed by pillows, an alarm clock, and anything else Pan probably could get her hands on to throw. Gohan snickered. He heard an item collide with his older counterpart, and then said counterpart's whimpering.

Majunior poked his head into Gohan's bedroom and smiled.

"Hurry up and shower, unless you want Pan to use up all the hot water," he joked. Pan tossed her boot at him. Gohan and Pan locked eyes. They smirked competitively and took off for the bathroom at the same time. Majunior pressed himself to the wall in an attempt to not get run over. When the two teens reached the bathroom door and fought over the door handle, he rolled his eyes, "Teenagers."

-

Videl sighed and tuned her blonde friend out, who was gossiping a mile a minute. She nodded every few seconds and replied with an occasional, "Ah," and, "Oh, really?" when appropriate. She let her eyes scan the cafeteria's usual crowds of teenagers lazily, not watching for anything in particular. That is, until a certain girl waved out of the corner of her eye.

"Pan!" Videl grinned and sat up straight. Erasa halted her girly drawl and looked over Videl's shoulder curiously. She frowned slightly.

"Hello, Videl," Pan smiled gently and approached her friend's table.

"Hey, have a seat!" Videl pointed to a seat on the end of the table. "There, so you'll get to be next to Gohan, too. Where is he, by the way?" she asked cocked a thin, black eyebrow.

"Oh, he was helping Dad with something," Pan answered.

"So Brains is actually here on time?" Sharpner asked teasingly. Pan nodded, but didn't look up, for the table top suddenly became a very interesting style of imitation wood.

"He's staying with me and my father until school is over," she mumbled and looked up at the other two teens present. Erasa looked on with an unnerving stare, as did Sharpner (although, Sharpner's stare was a little more love-hungry, rather than un-approving). Pan swallowed the lump in her throat. "Ah, hello…" she spoke quietly.

"Oh, guys, this is Pan, a relative of Gohan's. She's new here; her dad is Mr. Son, the Algebra II teacher we have first period," Videl filled in. Erasa nodded slightly and deepened her frown.

"So you're the new kid," Sharpner stated, letting his eyes travel up and down Pan's torso. Videl reached over and smacked the boy across the top of his head.

"Why do you wear sweaters?" Erasa pointed a finger at Pan's warm attire. Pan blushed and looked back down at the table top.

"Because I get cold easily," Pan mumbled. Erasa rolled her eyes and looked back at Videl.

"Oh, _Viddy_," Erasa strained the nickname and glanced back to Pan to see if the other girl was listening, "did I tell you? I got transferred to Gym with you and Gohan." Videl sighed and slumped her shoulders.

"Oh, just what I need," she growled under her breath, "_More_ people witnessing my father's stupidity."

"Heh, well, Videl, you'll be terrified to realize that the _whole_ school's gonna be in the gym during second period today. We all wanna see Mr. Satan," Sharpner grinned excitedly. Erasa smiled and leaned on the table.

"Yep, just _you_, _me_, and Gohan all in one class together," Erasa glanced back at Pan. The brown-eyed girl tilted her head slightly.

"Yeah, and Pan's in it, too, so I'll have to make her suffer through it with me, too," Videl grinned at said girl jokingly. Pan chuckled softly. Erasa frowned again. Pan glanced over her shoulder and watched the Cafeteria doors. A few seconds later, Gohan pushed them open and glanced over to their table. She let out a silent sigh of relief and smiled, waving. Gohan returned the smile and waved back.

"Hey, glad to see you found them," Gohan said and poked Pan's head gently. Pan grinned happily and swatted his hand away.

"Actually, Videl found me." Gohan nodded and sat down next to Sharpner. The blonde jock elbowed him playfully.

"Elbow room!" he demanded and nudged Gohan again. The hybrid smirked and elbowed him back.

"Shove it!"

"It's nice to see you actually on time for once, Gohan," Erasa mumbled behind her folded hands. Gohan looked up at her curiously.

"I was here on time yesterday," he noted. Erasa glanced over to Pan, who was watching Gohan with a small smile. She knitted her bleach blonde eyebrows together.

"I hear you're living with Pan now," Erasa continued.

"Only on the weekdays so it's easier for me to travel to and from school," Gohan smiled at Pan cheerily. Pan's smile only widened.

"Do you sleep in the same room together?" Erasa asked and put her hands down. Gohan looked at her in surprise, as did Pan and Videl.

"Er, no," Gohan blinked. Videl pushed the blonde girl gently.

"Of course they're not!" Videl lectured. "They're cousins, not lovers." Erasa narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Of course."

-

Majunior smiled as his students filed into his classroom one-by-one. "Welcome, my prisoners for the next fifty minutes," he said and grinned. "I have presents for each of you." He hopped off of the edge of his desk and landed lightly on the floor below. The students blinked and looked at each other curiously. Was their teacher really just standing on top of his desk?

"Uh, Mr. Son?" a redheaded boy began, "Why were you… standing on your desk?"

"I thought it'd be fun," Majunior pulled two boxes of textbooks out of the closet swiftly and dropped them in front of the students' feet. The two boxes landed with a _wham_. The students "ooooh"ed and "ahhhh"ed at the little display of power. Gohan pinched the bridge of his nose.

'Doesn't he know to hide his power?' he thought. He stepped back a few paces behind the other awe-struck students. Majunior scooped an armful of textbooks up and smiled at the little crowd, but the smile dropped when he saw Gohan shaking his head and pretending to cut his throat. Majunior bit his lip and looked back at the other students. He strolled over to his desk and dropped the books on the table top, heaving a sigh of fake relief when the weight was lifted. He glanced back over his shoulder to see Gohan smiling. He smiled back.

"Okay, kids, each one of you get your very own textbook. Isn't that nice?" The students came to his desk one-by-one and picked out a textbook. When it was Videl's turn she locked eyes with her teacher.

"Have you ever been on television?" she questioned. "I think I remember you from somewhere."

"Er, no, I haven't been on television," Majunior replied and ushered her to move on. She didn't.

"I _know_ I've seen you somewhere before," Videl said as she leaned forward. "You have to do martial arts or something. Those boxes must have been fifty pounds each and you lifted them like they were nothing. Besides, where'd you get all those scars?" She pointed to the thin, faded scars riddling Majunior's pale skin.

"I used to do some martial arts, but I never really enjoyed it. Now go sit down… Videl," Majunior mumbled the name and attempted to give her a threatening glare. Videl's glare ran his over.

"Have you ever been in any tournaments or fighting shows?" she continued. Majunior sighed. Erasa tugged on her friend's arm gently, but she refused to back down. "Now that I think of it, you kind of look like one of those guys from the Cell Games." Majunior sighed in frustration.

"Yes, I was one of the guys in the Cell Games," he growled. The students shut up quickly. Gohan felt his insides crumbling. What was he doing?! "In fact, I fought Cell myself." Videl's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open slightly. Majunior smirked, "And my daughter was the little girl with your father and Gohan was the little boy fighting Cell with me."

Videl snapped her mouth shut as the other kids started snickering. Majunior's smirk turned into a grin and he chuckled a little. Videl almost pouted. Almost.

"Come on, don't play with me!" she glared. Majunior laughed a little louder and ushered her to her desk. He looked over to Gohan and laughed out loud. The boy looked as if he were about to die.

"Book, Gohan," Majunior said and held out the blue textbook. Gohan lifted his arms slowly, feeling the beads of sweat drip down his face.

"Y-you told them…?!" he squeaked so only Majunior could hear. Majunior rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, as if they'd believe their _math teacher_, a skinny little booknerd like you, and a socially inept girl like Pan would _actually_ compete in the Cell Games." Gohan nodded weakly, still feeling sick to his stomach. Majunior patted the boy's head and ushered him to his seat as well.

"Now, let's begin. Open your brand spankin' new books…"

"Uh, Mr. Son, these books aren't new. They're all worn…" Erasa pointed to a place in the textbook's spine where the protective plastic had worn away. Majunior scoffed.

"Well, _you've_ never seen them before, so therefore they're new. Open your brand spankin' new books to page… uh, whatever page Chapter One's on."

About twenty minutes into the lesson, Erasa's mind had wandered off. She looked over to Gohan and smiled softly, then frowned, remembering the girl from that morning. She leaned over to Videl and cupped her mouth with her hand.

"Hey, Viddy, you remember that chick from this morning?" Erasa whispered. Videl glanced up from her notes and nodded.

"Yeah, Pan," Videl whispered back.

"Yeah. I think she's got a crush on Gohan or somethin'," Erasa guessed. Videl cocked an incredulous eyebrow.

"They're cousins, 'Rasa."

"I know, but didn't you see how she acted after Gohan came in? That girl lit up like a freaking Christmas tree."

"It's only her second day here, Erasa. She's not going to be as comfortable around strangers like us as she is when she's with someone she's known since she was a kid. Having Gohan around probably just makes her feel more accepted, that's all."

"No, I mean, I saw that look she gave him. That wasn't an 'I'm comfortable,' stare, that was an 'I want you in my bed now,' stare."

"Please, Erasa… They're _cousins_."

"Just watch today in Gym class. I bet you she'll have skin-on-skin contact with Gohan more than three times before class is over. Rule of thumb is that if a girl touches a boy more than three times, she wants him."

Videl rolled her eyes and looked back down at her notes. Erasa went back to her daydreaming. Videl chewed on the end of her pencil and slid her periwinkle blues to her left, sneaking a peak at the hybrid nearby.

Well, he didn't look like the kind of guy who'd be in a relationship with his relative. Then again, he was from the middle of nowhere. Did they have other girls in the middle of nowhere? But he was such a sweet guy, not to mention shy. Then again, Sharpner did call him a hick… but he was so adorably socially awkward, there's no way he's even had his first kiss yet.

Videl blushed and looked back down at her notes. _What_? Did she just think that Gohan was adorable? Did she just wonder if he'd had his first kiss yet? Videl Satan did _not_ find boys cute and she did _not_ think about kissing them.

Wait- who said _she_ was going to kiss him? Videl growled softly under her breath and pulled at her pigtails.

Damned boys.

The bell chose this moment to make the students' eardrums bleed. Videl looked up at the clock in shock. Was it time already to leave? Was it time already to hide her shame as her father embarrassed herself in front of the entirety of the student-teacher body? She groaned. They'd let them out of first period early.

"Videl?" Gohan questioned and gently poked the girl on the side of the head. "Videl, it's time to go."

She stood from her seat and turned away from the boy. Was her face still red? She touched her cheek to check. Yep, burning. She groaned again. Gohan tilted his head.

"Videl…? Is something wrong?" he asked worriedly and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Videl's heart pounded against her chest, begging to be let out.

"I'm fine!" she snapped and marched away, head down. Gohan was left standing in shock, his hand still cupped in the air from where her shoulder had been. He looked over to Majunior, but the man had his head down and was making especially sure that he had other things to concentrate on. Gohan sighed and followed the other students to the hallway.

-

"RAAAAH!" Hercule lifted his arms into the air in a victorious fashion. The students and teachers surrounding him screamed in delight. Camera flashes went off. Voices exchanged words of endearment for their beloved hero.

Pan smiled and walked toward the girls' locker room. 'That Hercule; what a guy,' she thought and adjusted her backpack on her shoulder. 'I can't believe he really took the credit for defeating Cell. But hey, at least he listened to what I told him…'

"_Hey, Pan, you're not going out there, are you?" Hercule asked softly, as if he were afraid the little girl would rip his mouth off. He crawled closer to her, seeing as the bubble of energy that had pushed him away earlier had disappeared. He lifted a hand to her arm, but flinched when his skin brushed hers. It was scorching, as if he'd touched a hot stove. Hercule ground his teeth together, grabbed her arm despite the blistering heat, and held her close by. She whirled around and glared at him._

"_What ever happens, don't tell anyone what I told you before, okay?! My family's privacy is everything to them." Hercule's blue eyes widened. He shook his head._

"_No, no Pan, I can't let you fight that thing. Cell's a monster."_

_Pan ripped her arm away and started toward the battlefield. In mid-step, she stopped and turned back to him. With a small smile, she said, "Tell your daughter that… that I said hi." She turned on her heel and raced toward Gohan on the field. Hercule sat back, a bit stunned._

"_S-sure," he mumbled to himself._

'I wonder if he told her,' Pan thought to herself. She looked around for Videl, but the female crime fighter was lost in the thousands of students filling the gym. Pan shrugged and pushed the locker room door open. She'd show up in the locker room. Videl just didn't seem like the kind of person who'd want to soak up the attention with her father.

Pan stopped inside the locker room, her confidence wilting away. There were more girls today. Of course, Pan anticipated schedule changes (especially considering that Hercule was going to be teaching them for the next three weeks), but not _this_ many. The locker room was packed with beautiful teenage girls. Pan gulped.

She couldn't show herself in front of these goddesses. She couldn't show her leg, she couldn't show her scars, she couldn't show her burns. They'd raise questions. They'd raise rumors. They'd raise spitefulness. Pan lowered her head and leaned on the corner. She wasn't a quick-witted girl. In a physical fight, sure, she could kick each and every one of these girls' perfect heart-shaped asses, but in a verbal fight…

Pan sighed and studied her shoes. Maybe the girls would leave quickly, seeing as everyone's favorite hero was just one room away.

"Hey, girl." Pan's hope was shattered. "Hey, I heard about you. About your leg." Pan looked up and noticed that over half of the girls were watching her curiously and whispering behind their hands. Pan could hear the blood pumping through her ears. Heat rose to her cheeks.

"Hey, she's talkin' to you, girl," another teen noted. Pan looked back down at her shoes.

"Can I see it?" the previous girl questioned. Pan chewed on her lip.

"I saw it yesterday. It was so…" another girl let her voice trail off. She shivered in horror. Pan felt the heat push against the backs of her eyes.

"Let us see it!" a pair of twins exclaimed at the same time. Pan's trembling hand fumbled with the button of her jeans. It popped open and she slowly slid them down. Every girl in the locker room watched Pan's pants inch farther and farther down her legs.

The girls shrieked in horror- mock or real- and pushed themselves against the opposite wall that Pan stood in front of.

"Holy shit! Oh, my God!" and, "What the hell happened to your leg?!" were most of the girl's coherent responses. Pan trembled, frozen where she stood, unable to reply to any of the questions. After a few moments, most of the girls recovered.

"Were you born without a leg?"

"Did you get it ripped off or something?"

"Do you remember having your leg?"

"Where did you get that fake one?"

"Is the fake leg hooked up to your brain?"

"Hah, she's like a cyborg or something."

"No, she's not a cyborg, she's an _android_!"

Pan's heart seized in icy fear. The girls' laughter filled her ears, stuffing them so she couldn't even hear herself breathe. Then again, she'd stopped breathing a while ago. Tears pooled in her eyes and fell down her cheeks.

_Android_.

Pan dragged her pants back up and took off through the locker room doors without even buttoning them back up. She held them up as she ran through the crowd, only wanting to reach the gym doors. She bumped and pushed her way through the students, receiving curses and growls in return, but all she could hear was the girls' laughter behind her.

_She's an android!_

-

Gohan blinked, catching Pan's panicked face in the corner of his eye as she shoved her way to the exit. He knitted his eyebrows together and followed her, traveling through the path she made for herself. He bent and dodged his way around other people, apologizing and excusing himself every so often. At last, he finally reached the exit and took off in the direction of Pan's energy signal.

-

"I know I saw him run this way," Videl mumbled to herself. "What's he up to?" Her face had finally cooled down, allowing her to go into public again. But, as soon as she'd reached the gym doors to enter, Gohan went flying out and sprinted down the hall without even noticing her. Why was he running _away_ from the attraction? Videl narrowed her eyes. Something was wrong with this boy.

She skidded around the corner, her boots squeaking noisily on the tiled floor. She started to run, but came to an abrupt halt instead, as did her heart.

Gohan was standing to the side of the hallway, holding Pan to his chest. His hands stroked her back sensually, pulling her sweater up slightly each time. Videl's eyes widened and her heart squeezed. Pan's pants were undone. Were they really about to…? Videl shook her head. Her heart squeezed more when Gohan leaned down and kissed the girl's cheek. Pan entangled her fingers into his gravity defying raven hair. She made small squeaking sounds as he breathed on her neck.

Videl fisted her hands, turned and punched the lockers. Gohan's head snapped up at the sound, but only in time to see Videl's back as she turned the corner in a hurry. He bit his lip and looked down at his future daughter, who was sobbing into his chest. He could only imagine what this scene looked like to the female crime fighter.

"What's going on?!" Majunior shouted from the opposite end of the hall. His eyes widened when they landed on his daughter. "Pan!" He dashed up to them and took her hand, gaining her attention.

"Daddy!" she cried and clung to his black jacket. Majunior shushed her and held her head to his shoulder. He held her there for a few moments before pulling away and looking her up and down.

"Panny, what happened? What's wrong?" he questioned in a hurry. He buttoned and zipped her pants back up, straightened her shirt, and wiped her tears away from her reddened face and bloodshot eyes.

"The girls in the locker room…" Gohan began, glancing back and forth between his future daughter and where Videl disappeared. Majunior waved him away.

"You go talk to Videl. I felt her energy running away pretty fast. C'mere, Panny…" Majunior scooped his daughter up into his arms. She curled up and buried her face into his shoulder. Gohan chewed on his lip and nodded, and then ran to Videl's direction.

-

Videl paced the large bathroom angrily.

"Erasa was right. She's right. There _is_ something going on between those two. That sick bastard… I thought he was a good guy! And Pan… gah!" Videl punched the mirror, shattering it. "And to think… to think… that I actually might have wanted to…" She screamed in frustration and pulled on her pigtails again. The bathroom door opened slowly and someone stepped inside.

"_Go away_!" Videl shouted, her voice reverberating off the walls. The bathroom door clicked shut and locked. Videl looked over her shoulder, tears of anger gathering in the corners of her eyes. She only ground her teeth harder when she realized who it was. "What the _fuck_ are you doing in here?! It's a girls' bathroom, you freak!"

"Videl, that wasn't what it looked like," Gohan tried. He pressed himself against the bathroom door. "She was-"

"Yeah, right! You've been keeping secrets! You've always had secrets!"

"Everyone has secrets, Videl," Gohan lowered his voice soothingly, but it didn't help the angry blue-eyed girl.

"You're sick, you know that?! You're a freak- you and that… that… _fucked up_ family of yours!" Videl pounded her fist on the counter. Gohan's heart panged with guilt. "I mean, the things you say are just stupid. How the hell did you get from the 439 Mt. Pouz area to Orange Star City _just_ to go to school?! And then this freak living scar tissue of a human being suddenly becomes our teacher and you panic like someone was about to _die_… then you have some ridiculous conversation about 'snapping' and 'having Pan stop you'. What the fuck was that about, huh?! Is that a secret, too?!" Gohan sighed and nodded. Videl laughed in mock victory and paced around the bathroom.

"Oh, so, let me get this straight. Not only are you _doing_ your 'cousin,' but you're somehow going to go completely insane and you expect a math teacher and a little teenage girl to stop you from God knows what?! Oh, yeah, and what's all about your 'uncle,' being from another 'timeline' and that his… I don't now, _friend_ built a 'time machine' to come here?! What about you actually being eighteen?! And that you could… _feel_ Pan's energy?! _Huh?!_" Videl stopped in front of the hybrid and glared up at him, her eyes bloodshot from tears and her cheeks flushed red. Gohan took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

"Tell… me… what… is going on…" Videl demanded slowly. Her lip quivered, as if she had more to say, but nothing else came out. Gohan swallowed the lump in his throat.

"You want the truth?" he asked quietly. Videl nodded slowly. Gohan took in another deep breath. "The truth… isn't easy to believe," he warned. Videl glared.

"Just tell me the truth, Gohan. Tell me."

"Promise you'll listen all the way through?" he asked quietly. Videl nodded again, slowly. Gohan nodded back. "Alright."

-

TBC…

Gah. The most trouble I found with this chapter is keeping the name "Mage" to dialogue and the name "Majunior" in regular text. I found myself going back and changing "Mage"s in regular text to "Majunior"s.

On a side note, I was wondering if anyone would want me to make a prequel to _Impasse_. Like, how life was for Gohan, Trunks, Mirai Bulma, and Pan after Goku died and the androids showed up and before they went to the past? I would like some encouragement, if anyone wants me to write it.

I'll put the results after every chapter here, and then tally the votes at the end of _Finesse_.

**Yes: 0**

**No: 0**

-don darko.


	4. In The Sands Of Time

Finesse

-

"What if everything around you isn't quite as it seems? What if the entire world you think you know… is like a dream?" Gohan paced in the girl's bathroom, attempting to put his life into words. "If… if you could look through the cracks of the safe life you have… would you be afraid to see what is on the other side? The people whose lives are dedicated to making yours normal?" Videl stayed silent, her eyes moving with his pacing form. She could tell that she'd really backed him into a corner. She could almost hear his heart pounding against his chest.

"What if the entire world as you know it is just a creation of your own?" He sighed and stopped pacing. "There are people… a whole group of people… who know the truth. They're not hiding. They're in plain daylight, living their lives as any person would. They are a completely different diversity than you'd believe. You can choose to live in the illusion that mankind has made… or you can choose to believe…"

"Is this going to turn into some kind of spiritual thing?" Videl snapped. "Because I have my beliefs and-" Gohan's finger cut her off. She gasped.

"Those people that work to keep yours normal… I'm one of those people, Videl." Videl's eyes widened. Her eyes were locked with his, almost mesmerized. "I've shed… so much blood… so many tears… it makes your mankind look like a joke… so closed-minded. If you knew… what I was… what I've seen… what I've been through… then I wouldn't be surprised if you ran out of that door, screaming." Videl swallowed the lump in her throat.

"And… Mr. Son?"

"…He's like me, too. He's one of the handful of people working to keep Earth spinning."

"…Pan?"

Gohan nodded softly. "She is, too." Videl knitted her eyebrows together and looked down at her shoes. She bit her lip and looked up at the strange boy in front of her.

"Then, tell me. I won't run. I won't scream. Tell me… who you are, Gohan." She pulled herself onto the counter. Gohan nodded softly and sat next to her.

"I'm Gohan Son, first-born child of Goku Son, the former World Champion, and Chichi Ox, the Ox-King's only daughter. I lived in the same world you did for the first four years of my life, until my father took me to a reunion with the Turtle Hermit, Bulma Briefs, and Krillen Chestnut- all good friends of the family.

"I was kidnapped twice that day. First by my uncle Radditz and a second time by Piccolo- or, Majunior, as he was known when he fought my father in the Tournament. Piccolo trained me to fight, and after that, I was all grown up inside, but my body said I was five years old.

"There were many villains that my fathers' friends and I had to kill in order to protect Earth. Villains you wouldn't believe- ones way stronger than the ones you run off to fight in the city. These villains could destroy planets. One example is Cell."

Videl placed a hand over his. His was trembling, just from recalling the memories, "Gohan… did you fight Cell?" Gohan met her eyes. He drew his trembling lips into a straight line, and then nodded once.

"He killed my father," Gohan whispered. Videl hugged him gently. He buried his face in her tiny shoulder. "That monster killed my father," he repeated over and over. Videl rocked him back and forth and stroked his hair. "…And it's all my fault." She stopped and looked down at him. "If I hadn't been so cocky during that fight… my dad would still be here. He'd know my little brother. He'd comfort my mother when she cries at night. Mom knows it was me. Goten knows it was me. But, I didn't know… that that fight would get so out of hand…" his voice trailed off.

"Tell me about Pan and Mr. Son," she whispered. Gohan sat up and drew one leg up to the counter.

"I'm not having sex with Pan or anything like that. I promise," he looked over to her pleadingly. She nodded. He sighed in relief.

"Is she really related to you, Gohan?" Videl asked softly. Gohan bit his lip.

"Yes, but she's not my cousin. I… I can't tell you how she is related to me right now. I can't tell you how Mage is related to me, either-"

"Mage?"

"…Majunior; Mr. Son. Majunior is not his real name. I can't tell you his real name, either. Maybe some day I can, Videl. I hope I can, someday." Videl nodded in understanding.

"Is that everything, Gohan?" she asked softly. Ohan shook his head slowly.

"…No. There's so much more. So much more that I want to tell you, but I can't. Not now. Not today."

"Someday, though. You'll tell me someday, right?"

Gohan nodded. "Someday."

"Just answer one more question for me, Gohan," Videl prompted softly. Gohan looked up at her in silent curiosity. Videl inhaled deeply and met his eyes, "…Are you human?" She watched as he bit his lip and let his eyes travel back down to his lap.

"My mother is," he answered. "My father is not."

-

Majunior brushed his daughter's hair out of her face gently. She was laying her head in his lap solemnly, staring up at the white ceiling.

"Hey," someone knocked gently on the door. Majunior and Pan looked up slowly to see Gohan and Videl entering.

"Hey," Majunior replied. He didn't move from his seat on the floor in front of his desk. Pan blinked softly and met eyes with Videl. Her heart panged. Why did the blue-eyed girl look so… sad? Pan lifted herself up and pushed to her feet. Forgetting about her own problems completely, she embraced the other girl in a tight hug. Static electricity sparked up her spine from the contact, but for some reason, it felt right.

Videl slowly got over her shock and hugged Pan back. She emanated heat like a stove, but it wasn't unpleasant. It was a comforting sort of warmth. Videl felt her heart melt and she leaned her head against Pan's.

Gohan offered his older counterpart his hand, but Majunior was too wrapped up in watching the little display of comfort between the two teenage girls. Gohan drew his lips into a straight line and tapped Majunior gently on the head, snapping him out of his trance.

"Wha-? Oh, thanks," he mumbled and took Gohan's hand. The other hybrid pulled himself to his feet. Videl opened her eyes and looked over Pan's shoulder curiously.

The two Son men were similar in more ways than one. They both had gravity-defying, silky-to-the-touch black hair and liquid chocolate eyes. Their faces were sculpted almost exactly alike, but the way they held themselves was what was so different. Where Gohan had a gentle, easy-going aura about him, Majunior had a skittish, restless one. The man was constantly taking in every inch, every fiber, and everything about his environment. Gohan was relaxed and warm, always a happy person, but it was scary when that happy face disappeared. Yet, he didn't seem as wary as the older man.

Videl found herself playing with Pan's hair idly. The other girl had long since pulled away, but she hadn't moved far. Videl could still feel the heat radiating off of the brown-eyed girl's skin.

"So, is everyone happy now?" Majunior asked, smiling playfully. Gohan looked over to Videl and Pan curiously. The two girls looked at one another.

"Yeah," the three teens said in unison. Majunior smiled and glanced over their faces. He looked back at Gohan.

"What did you tell her?" he asked aloud. Videl heard Pan gulp and her hand tense between them.

"You three were in the Cell Games," she answered before Gohan could open his mouth. "Your name is not really Majunior, but he wouldn't tell me what it really was. You, Pan, are not really Gohan's cousin, but you are somehow related, which he would also not tell me. And… at least Gohan is not completely human."

A small silence followed. Majunior nodded at Gohan approvingly, "Well, you told her just the tip of the iceberg, I suppose. Everything else is pure detail, except for some few key secrets which- as far as you knowing- is up to Gohan." Majunior chewed on his lip, drawing a tiny amount of blood. Quietly, he mumbled, "You told her more than I would."

"He'll tell me more someday. Right, Gohan?" Videl looked up at the hybrid curiously. He smiled and nodded.

"I'm just glad you can get all of that under your belt."

"Of course, I can't accept it right away…" Videl stepped forward slightly. "I need proof. Prove to me that you really are who you say you are, what you say you've seen, and what you say you can do.

"If you were at the Cell Games seven years ago, that means that you were about ten years old, which means you were the little golden-haired boy fighting. And you," she turned and pointed at Pan, "were the little girl who was with my father. And you," she turned back around and gestured to Majunior, "were the golden-haired man fighting with the little golden-haired boy."

Majunior smirked. "Smart girl." Gohan sighed and nodded slightly.

"Yeah, that was us, exactly."

"Then make your hair golden again. Normal people can't just change, so I can believe you aren't completely human. Then I can know you're really as strong as you say, if you really fought Cell. That will make it easier to believe anything else you say," Videl reasoned. She stepped forward with each reason, until she was right up under the teenage hybrid boy.

Majunior smirked. "Go on, Delivery Boy." Gohan flinched at the nickname that the media had given him all those years ago. He sighed and backed up from Videl. With one last glance at Majunior and Pan, he braced himself, and then powered up.

Energy sparked around his form, snapping at Videl and the ground around her. She stumbled back into Majunior, but he caught her. Gohan narrowed his eyes and searched for the dormant energy deep within him. As soon as he grasped the tap, he linked it to his own energy flow and lurched back as the power exploded from his skin.

Videl gasped and clamped a hand on her mouth. Gohan's eyes sparked to a dull teal and his hair defied gravity more than it had before. It stood in powerful locks of golden; the familiar golden of the strange warriors at the Games.

An icy chill raced down Majunior's spine as Gohan's frame relaxed into a nonchalant- yet somehow ultimately powerful at the same time- stance. His entire aura demanded nothing but the respect of the Gods themselves. The chill deepened as a cruel smile graced Gohan's lips. Videl released a small, frightened squeak in the back of her throat.

"Y-you _are_ the Gold Fighter," she whispered. Majunior's muscles froze. His eyes widened as he stared at the exact replica of himself as a teenager.

"_Gold Fighter_?!" he growled. Gohan raised his eyebrows curiously. Majunior pushed Videl behind him, protecting her with his body as a shield. Gohan tilted his head, but the heated expression on Majunior's face did not soften. "The Gold Fighter?! You're already the Gold Fighter?!" Pan joined him at his side and slid into a fighting stance. Gohan blinked innocently.

"Uh… yeah, that's what they called me," he mumbled. Majunior's muscles relaxed a little, noting that Gohan's voice had no hint of malice. Videl pushed her way through the two Sons roughly.

"What was that for?! Yes, 'Gold Fighter.' Last year a teenage boy with an OSH badge showed up at a bank robbery and took out the robbers in under five minutes." Majunior blinked, willing his muscles to unlock.

"So… the Gold Fighter was good, not bad?" Pan asked curiously. Videl cocked an eyebrow at her and nodded.

"Yeah, he was amazing," she mumbled. She looked back at Gohan's golden glowing form and widened her eyes in fascination. "That was you?" she asked quietly and closed the distance between them. The only movement Gohan made was a small nod. Her mouth formed a small 'o' and she reached out to touch his arm. Majunior's hand was itching to reach out and yank her back, but he was stopped by Pan's over his own.

Videl brushed her fingertips against Gohan's stone-hard neck, and then pulled it back in shock. A blue like on electricity followed her fingertips before sucking back into his body. She looked up at him curiously, but he'd yet to move. He was trying hard to breathe evenly, she noted. She circled around him slowly, taking in every inch of his new body with the utmost of curiosity. When she returned to the spot in front of him, she stood on her tip-toes and stared into his eyes. His heart pounded against his chest harder and faster than the accelerated rate it went at, thanks to his Super Saiyan form.

"You have no pupils," she mumbled.

"Wanna know something cool?" he whispered in a deep voice, taking her completely by surprise. "They _are_ my pupils- the green you see. It's green thanks to the energy circulating behind them." [1] Her mouth dropped open slightly.

"That means… your eyes take in a lot of light," she reasoned. He smirked.

"I wish you could see the world the way we do," he replied. "It's amazing." She smiled back at him and fell back to the pads of her feet. She reached up and brushed the tips of his hair, gasping at how easily the strands bent. It looked so stiff; it was surprising how soft it was. She smiled as tiny sparks of static electricity snapped at her fingers.

"You could power a whole city with this kind of electricity," she mumbled. She stepped back and smirked up at him. "So, you can fly, too, right? You can do all those light tricks that you did at the Games?" Gohan drew his lips into a thin line and pushed himself into the air. Videl's eyes widened, watching him float above the ground. "That's… incredible…"

With a soft tap, Gohan's shoes met the tiled floor again. He dropped out of his Super Saiyan state and heaved a soft sigh.

"Okay, Gohan," Videl placed her hands on her hips firmly; "I'll believe you. But you have to promise to tell me everything one day. I want to know everything." Gohan smiled and nodded slowly. He looked over Videl's shoulder and frowned. Majunior was holding his head and facing in the opposite direction. Pan held his hand tightly. It wasn't until Videl turned back to them did Gohan notice that Majunior's entire frame was trembling.

Was it something he said?

-

The quartet walked down the hallway toward the gym at a normal pace. The entire school was deserted, thanks to one certain false hero. Videl looked over to Pan and poked her shoulder.

"Hey, my dad knew you during the Games, right?" Pan nodded. "So, do you think he'll recognize you?" Pan tilted her head in thought.

"I don't know if he would right away. I was only eight back then," she answered. Videl looked up at Gohan.

"Can you teach me to fly?" she asked. Gohan blinked in surprise.

"Teach you to fly? Hmm… I guess I could," he mumbled to himself. "I don't know when we could find the time, though."

"Well you're staying with us, Gohan," Pan reminded him. "She could just come home with us every day so you can teach her."

"You wont help?" he pouted. Pan smirked.

"I'll watch."

"Brat."

"Why doesn't' she just stay with us, too?" Majunior mumbled sarcastically. Pan's smirk widened into a grin.

"Oooh, really, Daddy?! Yeah! Then you and I can be roommates or something!" Pan grinned. Videl smiled back.

"Sure. I'm sure that as soon as Dad realizes who you are, he'll have no trouble letting me stay with you. But… might not be a good idea to tell him that Gohan's staying, too. Jeez, if he found out that I was at a boy's house- much more, _staying_ at a boy's house, I know exactly what he'd say-"

"You can't date a boy who is weaker than me, Videl. No, sir, I won't allow it," Majunior recalled perfectly. Videl stared up at him.

"T-that's exactly what he'd say. How did you know?!" she demanded and stopped in front of him. Majunior felt a bead of sweat drip down the back of his head.

"Because you've told me before," he replied coolly and brushed past her. Pan smacked her forehead and growled softly under her breath. Videl's eyes were the size of dinner plates.

"But… I… haven't… told you anything like that…" she blinked. Gohan grabbed Majunior's shoulder before he could get too far away.

"What are you doing? Are you going to let out everything?" he whispered hastily. Majunior stared at him blankly.

"I'm not going to hide anything from her, Gohan. I made that mistake before. I advise you to do the same; hiding it will only bring pain. Besides, it's not like I'm just coming out of the blue with it. She asks, I answer." He pushed past the younger hybrid and entered the noisy gym.

Videl watched his back retreat swiftly through the heavy double doors.

"Is that a fact?" she mumbled to herself.

-

TBC…

[1] I made this up completely. I like to think of it as a sort of "albino effect". Since albinos have no pigment in their eyes, their irises are red because of the blood pumping through them. I love Saiyan transformations. They're so _flexible_.

Anyway, it was real hard to write this chapter. Slowest one, I believe. The next few chapters will really pick up.

Yummy.

Reviews = Next Chapter

-don darko.


	5. I Watched The World

Finesse

-

The gym was completely crowded. Students and teachers alike screamed and cheered as the world's greatest hero showed his trademark fighting stances. The students in the Gym class circled around him, copying his motions.

Majunior sighed and looked away. "Silly old man," he murmured. He glanced down at his wristwatch and pressed a button on the side. "Hey, Trunks. Everything seems to be going well. I've messed up a little bit, though… Videl knows too much."

A soft buzzing from the earpiece in his ear was all he could hear. Majunior bit his lip and pressed the button again. "Hold on, let me get to a quieter place." He shoved his way through the crowd, ignoring their angry shouts and curses. Majunior smirked as the buzzing in his ear became a little more irritated.

He pushed open a door leading outside and leaned against it as to keep it from opening. He closed his eyes and stretched his senses out, searching for any nearby energies.

"Alright. So, what were you saying, Trunks?" he spoke into a tiny microphone on his watch.

"You jerk! Be gentler with the humans. You know the butterfly effect!"

"Yeah, yeah: One small thing done can drastically change another. I got it."

"Good," Trunks huffed. Majunior smiled. "Anyway, repeat that report."

"Right. Everything is going alright, but Videl knows a little too much too soon. She knows we were at the Cell Games and that we're Super Saiyans."

"Wow, and she didn't panic?"

"No. I was surprised, too. I guess that's just how things go if you don't hide it and…"

"So, Gohan," Trunks said idly. Majunior sighed and looked down. "About the kid- your younger self, I mean. Does he seem okay?"

"That would be why I said, 'Everything is going alright.' He hasn't gone completely insane yet." Trunks was quiet for a moment.

"…And how are you?" he asked.

"I'm getting by," Majunior replied. He slid down the wall and pulled his knees up to his chest.

"Gohan, you don't have to do this," Trunks assured, "Pan and I can handle it instead, if you're not comfortable being around… her."

"No, Trunks. You have a corporation to run. You don't have time to clean up my messes."

"Pfft…" Trunks scoffed into the microphone. Majunior smiled again. "Just… call me if you need me, okay? Don't do anything you can't handle. I'm your partner in crime, Gohan. I'm here for you."

"Aw, shucks, babe…" Majunior joked.

"Don't go all gay on me," Trunks mumbled. "I get enough from that new intern that showed up for the interview in a sailor suit…" Majunior snickered. Trunks huffed, "Hey, it's not funny! He's always… staring at me…" Majunior laughed.

"Well, I should go, Mr. Capsule Corporation President. I have three teenagers to keep up with."

"Three?"

"Pan, Gohan, and Videl. She's staying with us so Gohan can teach her to fly."

"Well, at least it's a positive reaction."

"For now," Majunior mumbled. "I'll buzz you if I have anything else to report. 'Til then, lover."

"Shut up, you lonely old beast."

Majunior laughed as the earpiece clicked, signaling that Trunks had ended the conversation. He pulled his sleeve back over his watch and glanced back through the door's window. Inside, he could see Hercule awing the crowd with a series of punches and kicks.

Pan, Videl, and Gohan had already changed into their gym clothes and joined the other Gym students when Majunior phoned Trunks. Majunior bit his lip and followed Pan's energy with his senses; she was sticking close to Videl and Gohan.

'I hope those kids are treating her right, or else they'll all get a mouthful of her teenage parents,' Majunior thought. A small smile graced his face, imagining it.

-

Hercule's feet and hands were a blur. His voice strained with his battle cries. His laugh was drowned out by the cheering crowd. He finished off his combination of attacks with a roundhouse kick and a back flip, making the crowd go wild. A sense of pride swelled in his chest and he planted his fists on his hips.

"My people!" he screamed. The Gym students around him jumped up and down in excitement. "Thank you for welcoming me today! I will be here every day until the World Martial Arts Tournament in three weeks, training these students in the Satan Style of Martial Arts!"

The crowd roared, drowning out the sound of the bell. Security came soon enough and, without missing too much of third period, they managed to file most of the students out of the gym. Hercule grinned, watching each face light up at the sight of him.

"Now, where's my daughter?" he smiled proudly and glanced from side to side in search of the periwinkle blue eyed girl. As if on cue, the last two girls in the locker room stepped back into the gym. "Ah, Videl!" he walked toward the girl.

"Hi, Daddy!" Videl smiled happily. She had to admit, when her father wasn't showing off for a crowd of people; he really was a great father. She glanced over to Pan, who was staring up at the man curiously.

"Pumpkin," Hercule hugged his daughter tightly. He glanced over Videl's shoulder and met another girl's brown eyes. A moment of silence passed, and finally Hercule smiled and nodded to her. "Who's your friend?"

"Daddy, this is Pan," Videl introduced. Pan watched him even more carefully. Hercule cocked an eyebrow.

"Pan…?" he thought for a moment. "Why do I feel like I know you from somewhere?" Videl glanced back and forth between the two. Hercule laughed and patted his daughter on the back. "Maybe it's just because you look so much like my li'l girl, here." Videl let out a soft, disappointed sigh and tugged on Pan's sweater.

"C'mon, we're already late for third period."

"Nice to meet you, Pan," Hercule nodded again. Pan sent him a playful smile.

"Nice to see you again, Mister Satan," she replied and followed her friend through the double doors leading to the hallway. Hercule blinked a few times and furrowed his eyebrows. For some reason, her voice sent icy chills down his spine and made something pull at his heart.

"Where've I heard that voice before?"

-

"C'mon, c'mon, we haven't got all day," Majunior ushered the three teens hurriedly.

"What's wrong? Got a date?" Pan smirked up at her father. Gohan stuffed the last book into his yellow messenger bag and hooked the top flap back into place.

"'Kay, let's go. Are you ready, Videl?"

"C'mon, c'mon, we haven't got all day…" Videl grinned playfully. Majunior huffed. He glared gently down at the human girl, who returned his glare with one of her own. He smirked.

"You want to learn to fly, Videl?" he asked. Videl nodded firmly. "Then you'll have to get used to the altitude." When the quartet reached the school roof, he scooped her up and blasted off into the air.

"H-hey, wait!" Gohan and Pan shouted simultaneously and took off after them.

Videl dug her fingers into Majunior's back like a frightened cat as she watched the ground get further and further away. She forced her gaze above her and gasped in shock. Gohan and Pan were flying along beside them.

"O-oh my God," she mumbled. Pan laughed and twisted and flipped in the air, doing summersaults and tricks.

"Just wait until you get your own wings, Videl!" Pan challenged. Videl pulled back and looked over Majunior's other shoulder, but carefully avoided his eyes. Gohan was on the other side, facing the sky as if he were lounging on the passing clouds. The afternoon sunlight hit his face, making his chocolate orbs sparkle. Videl felt heat rush up to her cheeks.

"There," Majunior cradled Videl with one arm and pointed to a small apartment below. "That's where we live. If you're really planning on staying with us until the Tourney, then you'll have to make yourself at home before diving into flying lessons."

"A-alright," Videl squeaked in reply. They landed on a second story balcony with a soft _tap_. Videl's legs felt like jelly as Majunior carelessly dropped her on the concrete and it didn't help when Gohan caught her before her bottom hit. More blood rushed to her cheeks. She felt dizzy.

"Videl? Are you okay?" Gohan asked gently. His breath, unbeknownst to him, tickled the female crime fighter's ear. Her head swam. "Is it motion sickness? You should lie down." She nodded numbly and let Gohan help her back to her feet. He led her through the sliding glass door and into the living room, where he gently guided her to the couch. "Do you want anything to drink?" he offered.

"N-no, thank you, Gohan," Videl held her head and begged the room to stop spinning. She looked up at Gohan's worried face. The little blood that had drained from her face returned quicker than before, and another dizzy spell hit her. She groaned. This couldn't be because of him. No way.

Gohan hesitated for a moment, letting his hand hover over her cheek. He glanced up at Pan, who was sipping from a water bottle, idly watching the little display. Majunior had left the room completely. He looked at Pan with questioning eyes and motioned toward his hand over Videl's cheek. Pan pulled the water bottle back to her lips and shook her head slightly.

'I want to use my Empathy on her, though,' Gohan whined to himself. 'If I could, then Videl wouldn't feel so sick.' He sighed.

"O-okay, I think I'm fine, now. Thank you, Gohan," Videl sat up and rubbed her head. Gohan smiled weakly.

"Maybe until you get used to it, we shouldn't do that again. It was bad of Mage to make you fly that high and that fast right at the start," Gohan reasoned. Videl nodded slowly.

"Yeah, that's it…" she mumbled.

"Videl, you can sleep in Gohan's room," Majunior stated in a final tone as he walked back into the living room. "Gohan, you get the couch." Gohan nodded and looked back at Videl. Her eyes were wide.

'He's not going to complain?' she thought to herself. 'Even I would have whined just a little bit.'

-

"That's it, Videl! Wow, you're a fast learner," Gohan smiled approvingly as the female crime fighter pulled her energy from her center. She smiled back and looked up at him.

"I did it! I found my energy!"

"Now all you have to do is learn to control it," Pan grinned and reclined back onto the couch.

The other two teenagers had cleared the center of the living room to use as a flying zone. Since they couldn't go outside into the public and they couldn't risk Videl getting motion sickness again in order to fly to a more reserved area, they'd chosen the living room as the perfect place. Besides, it wasn't like Videl was going to be doing a lot of heavy-duty flying very soon.

"Hey, kiddies, get ready for bed. It's nine," Majunior called from the kitchen where he was working. Papers were bundled in a small stack to his left and another stack to his right. He was scribbling on one paper. "God this girl is mathematically challenged," he growled.

As soon as the furniture was moved back into their original positions, each teen filed into the hallway, chatting animatedly about Videl's first success.

"Hey! Take your showers tonight. I'm not having it in the mornings! You bath tonight or go to school tomorrow smelling like a rat's ass." A sound of laughter traveled back to the kitchen. Majunior couldn't help but smile.

-

The stack on the right had grown by the time Videl joined her temporary caregiver at the kitchen table. Said caregiver didn't acknowledge her presence.

"So, that's today's morning work, huh?" Videl began.

"Yep," Majunior answered.

"Grade mine yet?" she asked.

"Yep," he chewed on his lip. "Made an eighty-six."

"Whose are you on now?"

"Sharpner's," he sat up, scribbled the final grade on the top, and stacked it to the right. Videl's eyes widened.

"A ninety-eight?!"

"He's a smart guy."

Videl leaned forward onto the table and looked up at Majunior. He swallowed the lump in his throat and quickly pulled the last paper to be graded.

"Where are you from, Mage?" she asked softly.

"439 Mt. Pouz region," he replied quickly.

"When's your birthday?"

"May eleventh."

Videl furrowed her eyebrows and tapped her chin. Majunior paid extra attention to the last few answers on his student's paper. She looked over to her left where the city lights glowed dimly in the distance. Majunior's pen scribbled the grade onto the paper noisily and he slapped it onto the stack. He pulled himself up quickly.

"Wait," she mumbled. Majunior froze. "Can I… talk to you for a little while?" she asked softly without looking at him. He slowly lowered himself back into the chair. Finally, she gazed back at him. "How long have you known Gohan?" Majunior chewed his lip.

"A very, very long time," he replied.

"Then you can help me. Why does he… hide?"

"…Gohan never chose to be what he is. He never wanted it. He never liked it. He wants to be as normal as possible."

"And when you say normal, you mean…"

"Human," Majunior finished for her. Videl sucked in a short breath.

"…I can understand that," she mumbled. "I never wanted to be in the limelight. I never wanted to be in the media's eye. I never wanted any of the money or the assets or the fame. I want what we had before… simplicity." Majunior chewed on his lip again. A tiny drop of blood pooled around his incisors. Videl lifted her hand, as if to wipe the blood away, but she stopped and ended up placing her palm on the table.

"Don't do that," she mumbled. "It's not healthy." Majunior stopped gnawing on his flesh.

"Nervous habit," he replied.

"Why are you nervous?" she asked. Majunior swallowed.

"Because I…"

"Hey," Gohan poked his head around the corner of the kitchen archway. "You can go ahead and settle into my room, if you want. It's ready." Videl nodded. Gohan smiled and left, heading for the living room. Videl felt the heat rise to her cheeks and she looked up to Majunior, who was watching in silent fascination.

"I should go to bed," she mumbled. Majunior nodded. Videl felt her heart in her ears as she stood and walked toward the archway leading to the hall where the bedrooms were located. Before she left, however, she turned back to Majunior and smiled softly. "Goodnight," she whispered. Majunior nodded numbly.

"Goodnight."

-

TBC…

Gosh, I hope you guys liked the little bit of Trunks I put in there. I know some of you are missing him. Don't worry, though. Really.

Really.

Reviews = Next Chapter

_Sequel?_

**Yes: 7**

**No: 0**

-don darko.


	6. Float To The Dark Side Of The Moon

Finesse

Author's note: **In case you guys haven't noticed, I changed my pen name from "Don Darko" to "Dr. Trunks Briefs". It makes me happier, even when I'm still violating copyright laws (but on a much less ridiculous level). Whee!**

-

Cool September wind blew through the tiny window, gently ruffling the curtains. Videl was reclined back on Gohan's bed, one hand behind her head, the other laid across her abdomen lazily.

At this time of morning, she was normally up and doing her morning exercises.

Apparently she didn't need her alarm clock. Her internal clock worked just fine.

Dammit.

She sighed and rolled off the bed, giving the cold hardwood floor a big hug. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't go back to sleep. How bothersome.

Everyone else in the household was asleep. The tiny apartment was as silent as could be, save for the midnight traffic and the occasional nocturnal night-goer. Videl decided she'd busy herself by getting a drink of water and- perhaps- a quick jog around the block. Maybe by then, the five A.M. moon would turn into a seven A.M. sun.

She pushed herself up with her hands and landed gracefully on her feet. She exchanged her sleepwear for exercise clothes and slipped her feet into a pair of tennis shoes. She pulled her long, black hair into a ponytail and left the room.

After pouring her glass of water, she gingerly set it in the sink, as to not make any noise, and tiptoed into the living room. There she saw Gohan sprawled out across the couch, arms askew, mouth parted slightly. Videl's heart started racing.

The boy's shirt had ridden up, exposing half of his obviously well toned torso. Faded burn scars splotched his pale skin here and there, but much to Videl's utter dismay, it was not unattractive.

'I wonder if those light tricks like Cell could do gave these to Gohan?' she thought and tiptoed closer to him. His breathing was slow and steady, all peaceful in the moonlit living room. Videl bent down onto her knees to inspect his burn scars closer. 'They look like they're a few years old,' she thought. 'Maybe it _was_ Cell who gave these to him. He did fight in the Cell Games, after all, and if he's been through that… I can't imagine what other scars he could be hiding.' She looked up from his exposed tummy and stared at his face.

'But he's so… innocent,' she countered herself. 'How could someone so sweet and down-to-Earth like Gohan take on something like Cell?' She crawled up to his face, intrigued by how the light played on his hair. She gingerly brushed her fingertips over the silky locks. 'It ceases to amaze me how stiff his hair looks, but how soft it really is…' She smiled. 'Erasa would kill to have this kind of hair.'

Gohan sighed contently in his sleep and turned his head, further facing Videl. She jumped, assuming she'd woken him up, but her heart calmed as she realized he'd only shifted. She kneeled beside him again, still curious.

'He's some kind of alien, right?' she questioned. She recalled his words in the bathroom earlier that day. _My mother is human. My father is not._ 'So he's half alien,' she pulled back, staring down at the boy's suddenly frightening face. Her heart ached, 'But… he's half human.' She leaned back in. No fur. No scales. No tails. No funny ears. No disgusting features. Yes, his skin radiated heat. Yes, he breathed steadily. She gently placed a hand over his chest. Yes, he had a heartbeat.

'He's human,' she thought. A light blush graced her cheeks. 'He's a very sweet, funny, smart, adorable human. A male human. A man. A very sweet, funny, smart, adorable man.' Her train of thought glided on and, with each word, Videl found herself leaning closer to the intriguing boy.

Her lips brushed his. Her heart jumped, feeling as if it was flying freely. The sweet breath from his slightly parted lips tickled hers.

All thought, all worry, all time flew out the window with her heart as she pressed her lips to his. Happiness melted in her chest and excitement exploded from every pore of her body. She found herself slowly moving her lips on his and enjoying every second of it. And, much to her delight. His lips began to move with hers, kissing back.

Of course, she didn't notice until his hand found its way to the back of her head. Her eyes flew open and she jerked away, but his hand lingered on her cheek. Her startled blue eyes met his curious brown ones. His lips were pink and shiny with dampness. The same pink tinged his cheeks.

Gohan pulled his hand away from her heated cheek slowly, but kept his gentle grip on the one on her chest. After coming back down to Earth, he gazed into Videl's eyes steadily.

"Wh-what are you doing?" he asked softly, feeling strangely disappointed at the loss of her warmth. He watched as her cheeks heated up even more and her eyes filled with tears of frustration. She glared at him, jumped to her feet, and took off through the front door. Gohan immediately followed.

"Leave me alone!" she screamed from the apartment complex's hallway. She ripped open the door to the stairs and ran down them, two at a time. He kept in step with her.

"Just talk to me!" he pleaded and chased her into the empty street. She halted suddenly, whirled around, and the hollow echo of her hand connecting with his cheek resounded off the street. All was quiet afterward. Gohan stood, frozen in shock. It hadn't hurt, but it sure surprised him. He looked down at her in disbelief.

"Leave… me… alone…" she whispered and blinked through her tears. His shoulders trembled with a heavy heartache. He knitted his eyebrows together. His heart ached? It was like when his father died but… different, somehow. Videl turned and walked down the sidewalk, one hand pressing against her forehead, occasionally wiping her tears away. His heart ached more. It felt like he was losing someone he was close to. Someone he cared about. Like when he thought he'd lost Pan, maybe? No, that's not it.

He watched as Videl became further and further away from him. His heart lurched. He made a strangled sound in the back of his throat. What was it? It was like when he lost a parent, but different, somehow. It was like when he lost a friend, but different, somehow. How was it? It hurt to watch her walk away, but he felt so happy to have her near, as she was less than five minutes ago.

Was it love? Not quite love for a parent or love for a friend, but love for… Videl? Just Videl? He'd never felt this way before for anyone else. This pain was worse than losing a parent. Yes, he felt lost and hopeless, but this pain had a certain dead aftertaste. This pain was worse than losing a friend. Yes, he craved for that warmth of her being near again, but it wasn't just a craving; a want. It was a _need_. He _needed_ her warmth again.

A single tear slipped down his cheek as Videl's lithe frame became something in the horizon and disappeared. His heart crumbled and fell into his stomach before burning into nothing. He felt hollow.

Did he love Videl? How long had he loved her? When did it start? How did it start?

He found himself running after her. One foot in front of the other. Yard by yard. One, two, three… The wind blew past his ears. The apartment fell into the background. He could see Videl again. She still had her head bent, one hand on her forehead and the other crossed across her chest. She was still walking away, but to Gohan, she became closer and closer and closer.

Finally, he reached her. She pulled her hand away from her head and turned around, only to be caught by Gohan in a tight hug. He pulled her to his chest and held her there, but she didn't fight. More hot, wet tears ran down her cheeks and onto his shirt as she buried her face into his chest. He dropped to his knees, pulled her into his lap, and buried his face into her hair. Her sweet scent filled his lungs and his heart solidified in his chest again, only to melt from the radiation of his happiness. He found himself crying, too.

He loved Videl.

-

Majunior cradled his cheek in his hand, watching the love scene unfold on the street below him. He blinked slowly, but didn't look away. He merely pressed the small button on his watch and brought it to his lips.

"It's okay," he whispered into the microphone, "You don't need to come over. I don't think I'll have much of a problem staying in this house anymore."

"Are you sure?" Trunks replied warily into the earpiece. "There's nothing you want me to do?"

Majunior was silent for a moment. He pressed the button again, "Just keep this lonely old beast company. That's all I want."

"Are you still going to make them enter the World Martial Arts Tournament in a few weeks? If so, I could come to watch or even compete, if you want."

"You have a corporation to run, Trunks. That's your first priority."

"I can take time off."

"If I need you right away, I'll hit the panic button."

"Promise?"

"Scout's honor," Majunior replied quietly.

The earpiece was silent. Majunior took one last gaze at the two teens holding each other on the sidewalk before he leaned back onto his hands and looked up at the twilit sky.

"Do you miss that, Sweetheart?" he asked the sky lovingly. The sky did not reply. "I do, too."

-

TBC…

Short chapter, I know. Ugh! It's half of what the normal chapter would be. But don't worry. This story is nowhere near the end. However, it WILL be the end if you don't review.

Reviews = Next Chapter.

/~drtrunksbriefs


	7. I Feel There's Nothing I Can Do

Finesse

-

Pan watched her father break an egg and gently drop its contents into the frying pan. The egg sizzled deliciously. Pan licked her lips and pressed her cheek harder onto Majunior's arm.

"Stop acting like a starving puppy," he scolded and picked up a ladle to stir the grits with. The teenage girl didn't pull away from his arm. The food just smelled too good.

"I can't help it! Your breakfasts are just too good."

"I can tell by how you're drooling on my arm."

"Sorry." Pan grinned and wiped her mouth on her father's sleeve playfully. The man just growled and thumped her head, making her laugh. She then swiftly dipped her finger into the pot of white mush and scooped some out.

"Don't stick your nasty fingers in it, gutter child!" he grinned and whapped her arm with the ladle. She giggled and licked the grits off of her finger. The front door to the little apartment closed with a soft click and feet quietly scuffled across the carpet. "Welcome home," Majunior called from the kitchen, not lifting his head to see the two blushing teenagers.

"Hey," Gohan mumbled with shy delight and entered the sunlit kitchen.

"Where've ya been?" Majunior eyed Pan warningly before turning his back on the sizzling breakfast. Her eyes watched the stove hungrily.

Videl entered the kitchen after the hybrid and smiled at Majunior. "We were out jogging," she replied swiftly. Majunior glanced down at Gohan's feet. Gohan's eyes widened and he followed his older counterpart's gaze to his sleeping clothes.

"Ah, it was kind of short-notice," he swore and shifted his bare feet.

"Mm-hmm," Majunior hummed and turned back to the stove. "Hey!" he shouted and slapped Pan's bottom for punishment. The girl quickly took the ladle away from her lips and sat it back into the pot. Her father shooed her away from the stove. She pouted and walked over to the other two teens and eyed them carefully.

A bead of sweat dripped down Gohan's head slowly as Pan studied Videl's face. Videl blinked in confusion. Pan leaned in and studied the other girl's lips carefully.

"Your lips are bruised," she noted. Videl's eyes widened. Gohan bit his lip and looked up at Majunior. The other hybrid was scooping the eggs out of the pan and putting them onto plates a little too carefully.

"Are they?" Videl replied. Heat rose to her cheeks. Pan looked up at Gohan.

"When did you get up this morning to 'jog'?" she whispered, making quotation marks with her fingers as she said the last word. Gohan gulped and glanced over to Videl.

"Ah, five-thirty," he replied.

"So you've been jogging for over an hour?" Pan smirked. Videl and Gohan glanced at each other again. Pan leaned in and took her voice down another peg. "Come on, I know you weren't jogging. What were you really doing? I promise I won't tell Daddy." She stared Gohan down for a few moments until Videl poked her side.

"I'll tell you later if you stop trying to make my boyfriend pee his pants," the female crime fighter promised. Pan's eyes lit up and an excited grin tugged at her lips. Videl couldn't help but smirk. Gohan's face was a lovely shade of pink.

"Breakfast time, kitties," Majunior called a little too loudly as he turned the stove off and placed the plates on the little wooden table. Pan instantly forgot Videl's promise at the mention of her father's cooking.

"Yay! Daddy's grits!" she cheered and bounced over to her seat. Gohan and Videl exchanged glances. Gohan's nervous frown turned into a happy smile at the sight of the human girl's bright eyes and took her hand.

Pulling a chair away from the table, Majunior sat and glanced up at the two teens in the kitchen's archway. His heart lurched at their laced fingers, but it saddened him when they pulled away quickly and joined the rest of the tiny family at the table.

-

"I'll see you guys in first period, I have to make a phone call," Majunior assured and ushered his three teenagers through the living room and out onto the balcony. "Go, go."

"We're going! We're going! Jeez, Daddy!" Pan laughed and slapped at her father's opposing hand. Said man grinned and waved to them. Gohan turned to Videl and, upon seeing her, blushed softly. She smiled up at him. Majunior slammed the sliding glass door, but not so hard to smash it.

Hopping from one foot to the other, Pan watched the two eagerly. "Well? Well? Tell me tell me!" she exclaimed excitedly. Gohan waved a hand, silently telling her to close her mouth. Pan clamped her mouth shut instantly.

"Er, Videl, do you want me to… carry you? Or…" Gohan's steady brown eyes watched the human girl carefully. Blood filled her cheeks slowly and she smiled again, but a little more shyly.

"Ah, okay, Gohan," she mumbled. Her heart raced as the hybrid wrapped one arm around her shoulders and the other under her knees and, so swiftly and easily, Videl noted, he scooped her up off the ground. She felt a giddy feeling rise in her chest when her wrapping her arms around his neck made heat tinge his cheeks even more.

Pan smirked and hopped onto the balcony railing. "To school!" she shouted in a heroic voice and blasted into the air. Gohan rose a bit more slowly, accelerating to keep up with the over stimulated time traveler.

As they flew, Videl found herself relaxing in Gohan's safe grip. She opened her eyes and looked ahead, seeing Pan doing excited flips and twists as she had been on their first flight.

"She likes to fly?" Videl wondered aloud. Gohan smiled.

"She loves to fly."

"Will I be able to do that, someday?" The two teens looked at each other.

"Yes." Videl smiled.

"Oh, Gohan, one question."

"Hmm?"

"Are you Saiyaman?"

-

The three teens landed on the roof of Orange Star High School. Pan blocked the door, effectively trapping the other two outside.

"Maybe next time, you shouldn't ask him those kinds of questions while ten thousand feet in the air," Pan smirked. Videl blinked her wide eyes and nodded slightly. Gohan rubbed his head sheepishly.

Quickly coming over her shock, Videl shot Pan a smirk as well. "Well, I knew he was Saiyaman all along, but I just wanted him to say it," she looked up at the pale hybrid.

"And now I want to know. You two'll be late for class if you don't tell me right now. So, tell me. What happened while you were 'jogging'?" Pan asked, once again forming air quotations with her fingers as she said the last word. Gohan's cheeks regained color. Videl began for him.

"Well, it started earlier this morning when I got up to jog. Gohan was out cold on the couch, I kissed him, he woke up, I ran down the street, he caught me, we hugged and kissed, he carried me to a more reserved spot, and then-"

"You did it?!" Pan's eyes were wide. Videl wrinkled her nose and pawed at her with her hand.

"No! Let me finish. We went to the park, actually, and talked about what had happened… We agreed on not letting anyone know right away."

"Why?" Pan leaned against the door more and looked up at Gohan, waiting for him to answer. Gohan smiled gently.

"Well, Videl doesn't want to hear her father yelling, and I don't exactly know how happy your father would be about it… you know, with Videl living with us and everything," the hybrid answered quietly. Pan smiled.

"Somehow, I get the feeling that he would be ecstatic."

The bell rang shrilly, signaling that the students should head for first period. Pan leaned against the door harder and said, "If you don't want to tell anyone just yet, fine, but you can't keep your relationship in the dark forever. Nothing good will come from it." With that, she turned and entered the school.

The two lovers exchanged glances once again, coming to a silent agreement over what Pan had advised. As they walked down the steps, Gohan couldn't help but wonder, 'How does Pan know so much about relationships?'

-

Erasa smiled up at Gohan as the boy sat at his desk next to her. "Morning, handsome," she greeted happily and patted his arm. Gohan smiled back and nodded to her, but carefully avoided more contact. He looked up at Videl steadily. The periwinkle blue eyed girl met his eyes and stuck out her tongue in a playful manner. He grinned, blushed, and looked away. Erasa's eyes darted back and forth between the two.

"You two came in at the same time," she noted. Sharpner rolled his head around to look at the other three teens.

"Yeah, you're right, Erasa." He eyed Gohan carefully, and then looked down at Videl. He smiled at her. "Hey, Vid, how's it going?" Videl grinned at him happily.

"Great!" she replied and took her notebook out of her backpack. Sharpner cocked an eyebrow.

'She's so happy,' he thought. 'She's so pretty when she's happy.'

"Guess what," Sharpner looked away from the girl of his dreams and concentrated on Gohan. "I finally got into your Gym class." He smirked, "Maybe I can teach you a thing or two about fighting so you won't embarrass yourself in front of the Champ." Gohan smirked back.

"Sure, Sharp," he replied. Sharpner chuckled.

"Where's your dad, Gohan?" Erasa asked idly. Gohan pulled his mouth into a frown.

"My dad…?" he asked.

"Yeah, Mr. Son? The teacher?" she smiled at him bashfully. Videl leaned around her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Mr. Son is Gohan's uncle. Right, Gohan?" she prompted. Gohan nodded numbly.

"My uncle. He's my uncle. Not my father." His voice was quiet. Sharpner blinked, watching the normally cheery boy's face drop into solemn grief.

The bell rang, signaling that all the students should be in their first periods. Still no teacher for the Algebra II students. Gohan knitted his eyebrows together in confusion and closed his eyes, stretching his senses out for the time traveler. He sighed in relief. Majunior was at least in the school building.

A few minutes later, the other students had begun to chat aimlessly. Videl looked up at Gohan's face, searching for any explanation about Majunior's absence. Gohan forced a small smile.

The door swung open and Majunior entered; the students hushed one by one. The younger hybrid watched him curiously, begging for his older counterpart to turn around and notice him. He didn't. He simply went on with the normal classroom instructions.

'Why was he late?' Gohan thought to himself. He glanced over to Videl, but the girl was too wrapped up in Majunior's lesson to meet his gaze. She was chewing on the end of her pencil in concentration, following the teacher's chalk strokes across the blackboard. Gohan felt heat rise to his cheeks again. 'She's chewing on her pencil. Why do I think that's cute?'

Apparently, watching Videl make little bite marks on her pencil makes time fly for the young hybrid. In no time, the bell had rung and the rest of the students were filing out of the classroom. Gohan felt a sharp thump in his ear.

"Hey, Han, up and at 'em. Rise 'n shine. Smell the coffee, bro." Sharpner grinned at him excitedly. "Ultimate Martial Arts lesson now. Let's go, let's go." Gohan snapped out of his reverie and looked up at the other boy in shock.

"I-I wasn't staring at Videl…" he swore. Sharpner gave him a skeptical look.

"I didn't say you were. Were you?" he bent down and glared at the raven-haired boy, who began to sweat.

"N-no!"

"Yeah, you better not have been. Videl's my girl, everyone knows that. I dunno what I'd have to do to you if I found out you were messin' around with her." Gohan's eyes widened. Sharpner held his glare for a few moments longer before bursting into laughter. "Aw, you should have seen your face! Come on, dude, you know I'd never hurt you. You're my best guy bud."

Gohan laughed along with the other boy weakly and stood up. He gathered his books and walked with Sharpner to the classroom door, noticing that they were the last two students left. Apparently, Erasa dragged Videl out, kicking and screaming already. Gohan smiled at the thought. Before he left the room, he glanced over his shoulder to his makeshift 'uncle'.

The man still wouldn't look at him. His head was bent toward the ground and he had one hand over his eyes. Gohan begged him with his eyes.

'Just one glance. Look at me, look at me,' he thought. Majunior did not look at him.

"Hey, Son! What're you waiting for? Come on!" Sharpner clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder and ushered him father into the crowd of students that filled the hallway.

The door shut, blocking the racket of voices from the hallway. Majunior pressed his hand harder onto his eyes and slid it down his face. He looked up at the row where Gohan and the other three students' empty desks were sitting. He lifted his hand from his mouth and crossed his arms, letting a small smile tug at his lips.

-

TBC…

Good? Yes? No? I liked it. Next chapter is an ACTUAL lesson from Earth's Savior and the greatest fighter under the heavens! Yes, I mean Hercule! Make sure you review. Reviews make me happy and encourage me to continue with the story.

_Sequel?_

**Yes: 11**

**No: 0**

I also decided on a title for that new story I'm tallying votes for. It's spiffy!

/~drtrunksbriefs


	8. After All I Knew

Finesse

Author's note: I've been thinking about the characters' ages lately. Some of them I know definitely, but some (like Pan's) I had to make up. Just for fun!

Gohan: May 11; 18 years old (Chibi) and 36 years old (Mirai)

Trunks: March 3; 8 years old (Chibi) and 26 years old (Mirai)

Pan: June 24; 16 years old

Videl: April 7; 16 years old

Goten: February 26; 7 years old

Goku: March 25; 26 years old (at time of death)

-

The gym, as Gohan noted upon entering, was much less crowded than the day before. Hercule was nowhere in sight and many of the Gym students had already dressed for the class. Gohan grinned nervously and avoided their disturbing gazes.

"Why are they all staring?" Gohan mumbled under his breath to the two girls on either side of him. Sharpner cocked an eyebrow at the gawking teens. Pan shrugged shakily and stared at her shoes. Videl smiled and reached over to pat her shoulder.

"Don't sweat it, kids," the female crime fighter whispered. She looked directly into Pan's eyes. "Especially you, Pan. You're with me, remember? No one's gonna give you crap as long as I'm around, I swear it. If they do, they won't do it again." She winked playfully, making Pan smirk a bit. The Saiyan girl's heart began to slow to a normal pace again.

Gohan and Sharpner broke away from the two and headed to the boys' locker room. They waved them off and Gohan grinned at Videl. "See you in a little while," he called and disappeared behind the door. Two boys that were emerging from the door beforehand stared at him intensely before backing away. Gohan blinked at them, shrugged it off, and followed his blonde friend inside.

Back in the gym, Erasa spotted the two and approached them just before they reached the girls' locker room.

"Heeey, Pan," she said sweetly and threw a tanned arm around Pan's shoulders. Pan smiled back at her. This was Videl's friend, right? This was the bubbly, short-haired blonde girl that sat at Videl's and Gohan's table in the mornings.

"Hello," she greeted softly. Erasa flashed her pearly whites. A few girls around them whispered behind their hands. Videl glared at them threateningly, so the girls scampered away.

"C'mon, Panny. Dad's gonna be in to "teach" soon," the female crime fighter grinned playfully. Pan chuckled and nodded, pulling away from the blonde. Erasa pouted, but smirked when the other two girls disappeared behind the locker room door.

Three other girls rushed up to her, almost knocking her down. "That was her?" they questioned. "The girl who's dating her cousin?" Erasa grinned and nodded.

"Yeah, didn't I tell you I'd motion to her when she came in?" the blonde answered. The three girls looked at each other with disgusted faces.

"I didn't know Gohan was like that," one girl mumbled disappointedly.

"Do you think Videl knows?" another wondered idly.

"That's the freak with the metal leg," the third one noted. Erasa cocked an eyebrow in question. The three girls gasped and huddled around her.

"You don't know?!" they shrieked at once. "She showed us yesterday!"

"What? Where?"

"In the locker room, right before Mr. Satan began teaching yesterday."

"Wha- why didn't anyone tell me?! I wanted to see!" Erasa growled and fisted her manicured hands.

"Don't worry. Our gym uniforms' shorts will show. It's sooo gross! God, Erasa, you have to see it!"

The three girls squealed in mock disgust. Erasa put a finger to her chin thoughtfully. 'I wonder… what happened to her?' She let her blue eyes travel over to the boys' side of the gym where they were already doing their stretches. She watched Gohan and Sharpner punch each other playfully, and then getting a sharp tongued lecture from the teacher about "behaving properly".

As the teacher walked away, Erasa saw Gohan and Sharpner snicker at each other and copy the other boys' stretches. When Gohan bent back, a light blush crept across the little blonde's face as his shirt pulled up to reveal his creamy, pale abdomen.

"Erasa? Helloooo… Earth to Erasa!" Videl waved a hand in front of her friend's eyes. Erasa blinked rapidly and looked over, seeing Videl smirking at her and Pan a few feet behind her. She looked around. The other three girls had already run to the other side of the gym, safe from the crime fighter's violent temper. "What'cha staring at?" Videl questioned slyly.

"E-er…" Erasa stuttered and cut her eyes at Pan, who watched blankly. "Um…" Videl blinked and followed Erasa's previous gaze over to the two boys.

"You were watching Sharpner?" asked Videl. Erasa blinked, glancing back at Pan every now and then. Videl grinned. "I didn't know you were in to Sharpner."

"Ah…" Erasa let her eyes travel down Pan's body. An icy chill ran up her spine. 'It's true…' the blonde girl thought. Pan's right leg was cut clean off right at mid-thigh. Where her tanned skin cut off, cold silver metal continued. The artificial one looked like a real leg, save for the sleek indentions and ball-joints. Even an artificial kneecap was placed over the bend of the prosthetic, giving the whole leg a natural look while hidden beneath clothing. 'Speaking of natural,' Erasa noted, amused, 'She wears a sock and tennis shoe on it as if it was her real leg.'

A finger pulled Erasa's chin up, making her meet Videl's eyes. "Hey, up here. I didn't know you liked Sharpner, Erasa."

"I wasn't staring at Sharpner," Erasa stared Pan down. The brown eyed girl felt her heart begin to hammer beneath Erasa's gaze. "I was staring at Gohan. I think he's very good looking. I think I'll ask him out after Gym."

"NO!" Pan shouted, stepping forward once. Erasa stepped back. A smirk lit her face. _Bingo_.

"What? Why, Pan?" the blonde questioned. Videl stopped and looked over to Pan, her eyes huge. _No, no_, she mouthed. Pan blinked once and glanced over to her male roommate and his best friend, who had directed their attention to the three girls, thanks to Pan's outburst.

"Ah… er…" Pan looked back at Videl, searching for a response to go with. The other girl just shook her head slightly. _Don't tell her about us, not yet_, she was saying silently. Pan stared back at Erasa and, with an even, calm tone, she said, "You're not his type."

Erasa's jaw dropped open. Her eyes were wide. But after the shock subsided, anger took its place. She ground her teeth together slowly, fisted her hands, and glared at the young Saiyan girl.

"So, what _is_ his type, then?!" she growled. Videl grabbed Erasa's arm gently and attempted to calm her down.

"Erasa, she didn't mean to be insulting," Videl said soothingly, but her voice fell on deaf ears.

"Are _you_ his type?!" she yelled, but her voice was drowned out by the screams of delight around her. Hercule had stepped into the gym in all his glory, feeding the teenagers' shouts and cheers all the more. Pan watched Erasa's angry, retreating back as the blonde stomped away. A gentle, warm hand squeezed her shoulder gently, but Pan just dropped her gaze to her tennis shoes.

They'd both heard it.

-

"So, it's all over the school now? That she and I date?" Gohan sighed frustratedly, but kept his voice low so only his three friends could hear him.

"I didn't know Erasa would do something like that," Sharpner whispered, feeling a little betrayed. He looked over to Videl and smiled a little.

"It's not true, Sharp," Gohan elbowed the blonde gently in the ribs. Sharpner chuckled.

"I know that, I know."

"Thing is, how are we going to stop the rumors?" Videl thought aloud. She was in her criminal justice state of mind.

Pan stared blankly at Hercule, who was at the middle of the circle of students, demonstrating basic Martial Arts moves. Her gaze shifted slightly to Erasa, who was staring back, obviously still a little peeved. Three girls around the blonde glared at Pan, so she looked away.

Hercule panted and turned to one side of the circle of students. "Do you see?" he prodded, "That is how to throw a proper punch. Now, I need a volunteer…"

The students shot their hands into the air and commenced in begging to be the Champ's volunteer. Hercule grinned and let his eyes travel around the circle, until he met a very familiar face. That was Videl's little friend from yesterday, right? The Champ furrowed his eyebrows and thought. 'Where, where? Where have I seen her before?'

"You," he pointed at Pan. "Come here." Pan's eyes shot up and met Hercule's blues. The other students groaned and put their hands back at their sides. As Pan walked forward, a glint of light caught Hercule's eye. He glanced down, then back up at Pan's face.

Then back down. His eyes widened. The prosthetic was silent, even as it moved just as fluidly as her real leg. Hercule lifted his eyes slowly back to Pan's face. She was smirking slightly.

"Yes, Hercule?" she asked softly. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. Videl and Gohan leaned forward slightly, trying to hear the large man's reply. Will he recognize her? Will he not?

"You… you're… I need to talk to you… later," he replied quietly. Pan nodded. Hercule cleared his throat and stood up straight, regaining his booming voice. "Alright! You look like a fighter, just like my li'l girl," he winked at Videl, who rolled her matching periwinkle blue eyes. He chuckled. "And I believe you could enter the World Martial Arts Tournament a few weeks away. I could use the competition- hahah!" Pan grinned at this. "I can feel your power," Hercule stated loudly. "So, why don't I let you show these kids who they're dealing with?" He glanced up at Gohan, then back down at Pan, who nodded.

"That's him," she whispered under her breath so only Hercule could hear. He smirked proudly.

"You! Get over here." Gohan's eyes widened. He didn't move until Sharpner shoved him gently on the back.

"Get up there, Son!" he whispered harshly. "C'mon."

Gohan took a deep breath and stepped into the ring. The other students' eyes were on him, burning into his skin. He could hear the faint whispers; some confused, some amused. Pan turned to him and smiled.

"Your name is Gohan Son, isn't it?" Hercule asked. Gohan looked up at him and nodded once. "Your father is Goku Son, then. The Strongest Under the Heavens before me." Gohan nodded again. Hercule smirked. "Then I expect you to be at the Tournament; you and Pan here. If you're not there, I'll go and find you myself." The two Son teens smiled at each other. They knew that Hercule meant it, too. Hercule placed his large, tan hands on their shoulders. "The talent of the descendents of Goku shouldn't be wasted. I know his and my own styles clash considerably, but I admit that I admire his strength and bravery. I can feel that same strength and courage in both of you. Use it."

The circle of students was quiet. Goku Son? The great Goku Son that took down the Red Ribbon Army single-handedly? The one that battled nearly to the death with the demon king, Piccolo Daimou, so many years ago? Then protected Earth from the alien invaders? Gohan and Pan- the supposed incest lovers- were descendants of _that_ Son Goku? And Hercule Satan was _proud_ of them? Every student looked over at Erasa's shocked face.

"I have a request," Hercule continued. "I want you two to spar. Right here, right now. I want you to show your peers what exactly you can do, and to teach them who they're talking about," he grinned. Gohan and Pan shot him stunned looks, only making the Champ's grin widen. They looked at each other. How does he know? "Everyone else, sit on the bleachers. We all get to experience true martial talent today."

-

After the students had settled on the bleachers, Gohan and Pan stood apart, facing each other. Hercule held up his hand. The two teens fell into fighting stances. Every student was thinking the same thing, 'Gohan can fight? Since when? How can Pan fight with that leg? Will it break?'

Leaning forward on her seat, Videl watched them intently. Their stances were perfect. There was not one hair out of place. Every part protected; every limb dangerous. Gohan's stance, she noted, was frighteningly similar to Piccolo Daimou's. Had Gohan possibly trained under his father's arch rival? Something to ask Majunior later.

Pan's stance was of one Videl had never seen before. It reminded her somewhat of Gohan's, but it had a flair of its own. Who was she trained by? Something else to ask Majunior later. Videl smiled.

Hercule thrust his hand down. "Fight!" he yelled, and the two teens leapt into battle. Pan was first to attack, swiftly twisting around her 'cousin' and throwing a kick with her left leg at his side. Gohan grabbed it and flipped her onto the ground, but she caught herself with her hands and yanked her leg out of his grasp.

Then, she swept her fake leg underneath Gohan's feet so quickly that Videl almost didn't see it. At first it looked as if the brown eyed girl had tripped him, but at the last moment he easily bounced onto his hands and back onto his feet. Pan pulled herself back onto her feet and leapt at Gohan, who'd just turned around. He caught her fist and sent one of his own, only to have it caught by her hand. The two Son teens grinned at each other for a moment, and then broke apart.

The fight seemed to have no end, with Gohan and Pan neck-in-neck. Neither wanted to give up, but neither appeared to be able to win. When her father called the match a draw, Videl felt a slight disappointment in her heart.

'They were holding back,' she thought angrily to herself, 'both of them were.'

"Well, it seems you two are equals, but I know you can do better than that," Hercule stated. "I can only hope that you'll be paired up at the Tournament. I want to see a real fight." The bell rang shrilly, signaling the end of second period. The students filed back into the locker rooms to change. Hercule motioned for the two fighters to come closer.

"Yes, Mr. Satan?" Gohan asked. Pan couldn't help grinning. Hercule smiled.

"I never got the chance to thank you two for beating Cell," he answered quietly, so no one else would hear. The Son teens exchanged happy glances.

"And thank you for giving the people a stable idol," Pan replied. Gohan agreed. Hercule nodded, then frowned slightly at Pan.

"Pan, I'm sorry… about your father, I mean."

"D'aw, don't worry, Herc, he's okay. He's actually teaching Math right here. Gohan and Videl had him for first period." Hercule's eyes bugged out.

"You mean he's not dead…? But… but how? …Heh, well, how are you supposed to explain that, right? I mean… you two can change your appearances in a blink of an eye and killed an evil, incredibly strong tyrant that was planning to blow up the planet while you were children. A man coming back to life is nothing out of the ordinary." He laughed. "But, it's nice to see you again, Pan. I hope you're doing well, and as you can see, I'm still keeping your family's secret. Oh, er, Gohan? I need to ask a question."

Hercule wrapped an arm around Gohan's shoulders tightly and pulled him closer to whisper. "Hey, what do you think about dating my daughter? I'd be proud to have you as family. Any man strong enough to defeat a world threat can put up with that girl's temper."

Gohan grinned in response.

-

TBC…

Sorry sorry sorry! Such a long wait… sorry! I've been so busy this past week. School started back and the teachers ACTUALLY give me homework (and they ACTUALLY check that I did it!), so I've only been able to work on this chapter a little bit every night. But, hey, it's up. That's what matters, right?

I think I might just be updating on weekends for a while, just as a heads-up. No, I'm not abandoning _Finesse_. Updates will just come a little more slowly.

So, next chapter, World Martial Arts Tournament! I'm so excited. We're finally getting IN to the exciting part (which is the complete other half of the story). Ufufufufu!

Reviews = Next Chapter

/~drtrunksbriefs


	9. It Had To Be Something To Do With You

Finesse

Author's note: I broke my iPod My iPod broke. I have zero cash to get a new one. -dies of overstimulation-

-

The weeks passed, and before the tiny Son/Satan household knew it, the week of the World Martial Arts Tournament had arrived. Satan City was filled with the familiar cool and calm atmosphere provided by early October, yet the city's inhabitants were anything but calm. Everyone was excited; every one was getting ready to attend the city's most popular sport.

Yes, everyone was excited, except for the household mentioned earlier. The whole side of the apartment complex in which the superhumans resided was doused in relaxation. They were still sleeping, save for their current caregiver.

For now, anyway.

"Hey! Wake up! Get up get up get up! Tourney Time! Let's go… let's go… let's go… Up, up, up! Don't make me beat you three with this thing!" Majunior stopped banging on the pot and waved the ladle threateningly. He marched up and down the hallway, through the kitchen, and into the living room, slamming the pot with the ladle and screaming at the top of his lungs.

Three teenagers pulled themselves out from under their soft blankets sleepily. Someone in the apartment underneath them thumped their ceiling- the Sons' floor- with a broom handle, ordering the offending hybrid to quiet down. This only made Majunior stomp around louder.

"C'mon, kitties! We have to be at CC in an hour! Eat your poptarts and put on some clothes or I'll leave you here!"

"Mm'kay," Gohan mumbled and curled back into the couch. He was rudely awakened once again by his future counterpart snatching a fistful of his hair, pulling him up, covering his head with the pot, and beating it with the kitchen utensil. "Ow, ow, ow! I'm up, I'm up!" he groaned. Majunior smiled and let him go, letting the teen fall roughly out of his warm makeshift bed.

Videl released a large yawn and sat up in Gohan's- but for the past few weeks, it's been her's- bed. She glanced over to Pan, whom she could see stretching in her own bed across the hall, and smiled. Thanks to her father's public respect for the Son family, the incest rumors had dimmed down quite a bit. Gohan and Pan were able to lead somewhat normal, happy high school careers. Videl never thought her father capable of respecting anyone but himself, but there was a first time for everything, right? Videl smiled. And the best part, no one knew about her's and Gohan's little secret love.

It was true, according to both Gohan and Pan, that her father would not mind them dating. But, there was the other reason they'd kept it secret in the first place…

And that reason had decided to wake Videl out of her musing by slamming the ladle against the pot in her doorway. They'd been keeping their relationship a secret from the public because of what Majunior may think. Videl could understand why- after all, they LIVED together. What sane parent would let two hormonally driven teens live together? Especially when they're attracted to each other?

But her boyfriend seemed a little more edgy about letting Majunior know. What for, she had no idea. All Gohan had said was, "I'm afraid he'll make us stop seeing each other. I'm afraid he won't think its right. I don't want to lose you, Videl." She'd told him countless times that Majunior couldn't take her away from him, but he didn't seem to believe her. Apparently, he had high respects for his uncle's thoughts and opinions. Almost like the man was his father.

She grinned and pushed her energy beneath her, making herself hover above the bed. Then, she moved her energy around her, and touched the pads of her feet gently on the cold wooden floor. She smirked. This flying thing was too easy. In no time, Videl was sure that she could be blasting light grenades at her three somewhat-human roommates.

"Mmm, 'morning, Daddy. Poptarts for breakfast?" Pan smiled and walked into the kitchen. Majunior was putting away the kitchenware. He nodded and looked up at her, smiling.

"Brown Sugar Cinnamon, your favorite."

"And whole milk?" Gohan confirmed, now fully awake as he joined the others.

"Just one day before its expiration date," Majunior closed the fridge door and tossed the jug at the other man, who caught it easily. Pan sat down at the kitchen table and ripped open a silver packet of sugary pastries.

"Yummy," Videl walked in, already fully dressed, snatched Pan's Poptart away just before she bit into it, then laughed as the brown eyed girl sent her a full-on pout. "Aw, come on, I have to leave before you, anyway." Pan smiled and took the other pastry out of its silver packet. She gazed at it lovingly.

"Going back home to ride with your father?" Gohan asked, pouring a glass of milk.

"You know me too well." Videl took the jug from his hands gently.

"Have fun with that," Majunior mumbled and leaned against the counter. He snatched the stolen Poptart from Videl's hand as she walked by and shoved it halfway into his mouth before she could take it back. He then took the milk, popped open the cap, and chugged a few swallows down. He wiped his milk mustache off with his sleeve, and then smirked at her.

"Charming," she glared lightly at him, then turned on her heel and stole Pan's other Poptart once again before the other girl was about to take a bite. Pan slammed her head against the kitchen table in defeat. Gohan tossed his packet of Poptarts at her. They bounced off of her head, making her sit up quickly, grab them off of the table, and glare up at the female crime fighter threateningly. "I won't take them, promise," Videl patted Pan's shoulder. "I have to go now, anyway. It'll take forever to drive across town to get back home, especially with all the media that I'm sure is flooding my neighborhood right now…"

"Why don't you just fly there?" Gohan suggested. Videl's eyes widened.

"Oh, I didn't think of that. That'd be a lot easier! Thanks, Gohan," she leaned in to kiss him but, remembering Gohan's uncle was still in the room, she faltered and kissed his cheek instead. She then jogged back into Gohan's bedroom to get her capsules.

Majunior stared at Gohan quietly. The boy's cheeks were tinged pink and he gazed down at his folded hands upon the table's surface. The older man bit his lip, shook his head, and looked away as Videl re-entered the kitchen, capsules and duffel bag in hand.

"See you guys at the Tourney," she mumbled quickly. She gave Pan a quick hug, Majunior a wary glance, and Gohan a bashful smile before running into the living room and out onto the balcony, where she then took off to the sky.

The kitchen was quiet, save for Pan's delighted munches. Majunior was the first to break the silence.

"You two: go get dressed and ready to go."

-

"Gohan! Big Brother! Mom- Mom, its Gohan! It's Big Brother! He's here!!" little, eight-year-old Trunks grinned wildly and darted into the lobby of Capsule Corporation.

"Hey, Tru- oof!" Gohan didn't finish his sentence, thanks to the blur of lavender that tackled him into the floor and commenced in squeezing the life out of him.

"Eee! Big Brother! Big Brother! Mom- Mom, its Big Brother! He's here!!" seven-year-old Goten squealed, following his best friend in suit and landed on the side of Gohan's chest that was not being smothered. Gohan laughed and stared up at the other Z Fighters helplessly.

One Happy Hybrid Reunion later, Gohan was finally let up from the tile. He rolled swiftly onto his feet, scooped the two elementary schoolers in each arm and hugged them tightly. They hugged back, each talking a mile a minute about the latest prank they'd pulled on Vegeta. That is, until Trunks caught sight of the time travelers- who were being greeted by the other Z Fighters- in the corner of his eye. He furrowed his lavender eyebrows and leaned into Gohan.

"Hey, Gohan, who are those two new people?" he asked softly, a suspicious expression on his face. Gohan smiled.

"That's Majunior and Pan, Trunks. Remember?"

"Yeah! They came to visit me 'n Mama a couple 'o times before! They're from the _future_!" Goten exclaimed a little too loudly. Pan glanced over and met Trunks's eyes.

She smirked.

"Aww, Trunks used to be so cute!" she giggled and walked up to the three hybrids. Trunks's eyes widened and he pulled himself closer into Gohan's arm as she came nearer. He glared at her as she placed a gentle hand on his head.

"Say hi to Pan, Trunks," Gohan urged at the little boy. Goten watched with wide, wondrous brown eyes. Trunks pouted at the older boy, but obeyed.

"Hi to Pan, Trunks," he mumbled sarcastically under his breath. Gohan glared lightly, but stopped when Pan chuckled.

"How cold of you. Well, I guess you're bound to be if you live with Veggie-head over there." She gestured to the Saiyan Prince, who was sulking in the corner. The prince growled softly. Pan grinned evilly at him. "Aw, don't be so touchy, Veggie-head! You know you're still my favorite to tease."

Trunks's eyes widened and he looked up at Pan. She met his eyes and sent him a charming smile. The lavender haired boy felt a light blush creep onto his cheeks. "H-hi, Pan!" he squeaked. Pan giggled, making Trunks blush harder and bury his face in Gohan's shoulder. Goten laughed.

"Trunks has a cruuush! Trunks has a cruuush!" he chanted. Trunks swatted at the other boy blindly.

"Shaddup, Goten…" he mumbled. Gohan smiled and carried the two boys over to the other Z Fighters, Pan close in tow.

-

Majunior watched 18 curiously as she strapped herself into the seat next to her husband and cradled her baby lovingly in her arms. He watched as 18 stroked the little girl's golden pigtails and trail her finger down the child's cheek, making her laugh. He watched as Krillen watched proudly, a big smile on his face.

The hybrid let his gaze wander to the seat behind them, where Gohan was bouncing his little brother playfully on his lap, making the boy shout with delight. He watched Gohan smile, pure happiness and relaxation practically radiating from his persona. Chichi and the Ox King sat in the adjoining seats, blissfully listening to the secondborn Son giggle.

Letting his eyes travel farther, Majunior caught a small smile cross Vegeta's features for a fraction of a second as he watched Trunks practice controlling his energy's course. Bulma was relaxing on the prince's shoulder, watching the clouds pass by the jetcopter's window.

'There's one thing missing in this scene,' Majunior thought to himself. He looked over to the seat next to him, where Pan was stroking a capsule lovingly. Giru's capsule, he noted. He looked to the seat on her other side. It was cold and empty.

"I can't believe you found him," Pan said softly, but not looking up at her father. She didn't need to. A small smile flitted across her father's lips.

-

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. WELCOME TO… THE TEN-ANNUAL WORLD MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT! [1]" The stands and sidewalks of Tournament Island rumbled with cheers from excited fans. "I am thrilled to see everyone here today to witness our super-strong competitors duke it out to find the STRONGEST UNDER THE HEAVENS!"

The Z Fighters made their way through the park and the zillions of fans roaming around them. The announcer's booming voice came over the loudspeakers again, "We are proud to announce the second year of holding the Junior Competition! Since the lovely Videl Satan is no longer a Junior… who will win?!"

"A Junior competition, huh?" Chichi smiled and looked down at her little boy, who was holding onto Gohan's hand tightly. "Hear that, Goten?"

"Does that mean we don't get to fight with the adults?" he exclaimed in anguish. On Gohan's other side, Trunks gasped in horror.

"Anyone the age of fifteen and under will have to compete in the Junior Competition! Sorry kids, y'gotta be at least sixteen to fight with the adults!" The Announcer Guy exclaimed over the speakers. Trunks and Goten groaned. Gohan laughed and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt.

"Sorry, guys. But hey, at least you'll get to fight each other!" Gohan's enthusiasm didn't seem to help the young boys. They trudged on either side of the older hybrid, holding onto each of his hands.

The two time travelers followed one step behind the teen. They were always an arm's reach away. Just in case.

"Goku would love this…" Chichi sighed dreamily and gazed out at the carnival-like games put up to attract tourists who awaited the tournament to start. The other Z Fighters looked at each other sadly, each knowing he would.

As if it were the magic words, none other than Son Goku materialized in front of the group. A huge smile was plastered on his face and his halo hung lightly over his head. Baba floated on her crystal ball, looking slightly irritated.

"Hey, did someone call?" Goku asked playfully, the ever-present laugh intertwined with his voice. The Z Fighters stared, frozen. Goku's smile dropped slightly. "What, no hug?"

"GOKU." Everyone but the time travelers, Vegeta, Gohan, and the boys rushed forward and tackled the dead man, but amazingly, he was able to keep his footing. He laughed happily and hugged each person as hard as he could without crushing them.

"Hey, guys!" He stared deeply into his wife's teary eyes. "Hello, Chi," he said softly. The tears rolled down her cheeks and she threw herself into his arms. He caught her easily and they shared a passionate kiss.

Majunior glanced over to Gohan, who was still frozen in his spot. He let the boys' hands slip out of his. Goten clung to his arm and looked over his shoulder at the new man. Trunks hugged Gohan's leg and looked up at the older hybrid.

"Gohan, you okay?" the lavender haired boy asked. He patted Gohan's hip. "Big Brother?" he questioned softly. Goku looked over his wife's shoulder and smiled at the raven-haired teen.

"Gohan… is that really you?" he asked. Chichi let go of her grip around her husband's neck and moved away slightly so that the two could get a better view of each other. Goku smiled proudly, "Wow. You're as tall as me now." Gohan nodded numbly. Goten looked up at him curiously.

"Big Brother…" the little boy said softly. Gohan glanced down and gripped his little brother's hand gently. "Is that… Dad?" Gohan nodded once.

"That's our daddy." Goku stepped up cautiously, gazing in wonder at the little boy. When Goten noticed him advancing, he promptly hid behind his brother's leg. Without looking at him, Gohan tugged on Goten's hand, urging him to come out. Goten obeyed. "Say hello, Goten," he said numbly, still staring at the dead man. Goten gulped and obeyed once again, but still clung to his brother's leg, just as Trunks was.

"H-hello," Goten mumbled softly. "My name's Goten."

"Hi, Goten. I'm Goku." Goten's eyes matched Goku's, childish wonder for childish wonder. Goten grabbed two of Gohan's fingers and stepped forward slightly to look at his newfound father closer. The little boy's mouth hung open slightly as he inspected every inch and crevice of the full-blood's face.

Goku very slowly and very gently poked Goten's nose. In turn, the little boy grinned and poked his father's nose. The two Sons laughed. Goku scooped his youngest son into his arms. Goten let Gohan's hand go. It fell limply by the older brother's side as he watched his father and younger brother get better acquainted.

A gentle squeeze on his thigh reminded him of the other child holding onto him. He broke his gaze away from the happy father-son moment and met the piercing blue eyes of Trunks. Trunks rested his chin on Gohan's hip.

"Are you sad, Big Brother?" he asked quietly. Gohan drew his lips into a thin line and shook his head negatively. Trunks blinked and continued, "'Cause, I don't know a lot of people who cry when they're happy."

-

One reunion and many freaked out bystanders later; the Z Fighters continued their voyage toward the entry booth. Goku held Goten up on his shoulders and walked next to his firstborn, who, in turn, was being cornered by the two time travelers. Goku smiled as Goten pulled gently on his father's stiff locks of hair and looked over.

"So, how's the future, guys?" he asked happily. Pan smiled up at him.

"A lot better since the last time we saw you, Grandpa." Gohan and Majunior stayed quiet on either side of her. The two counterparts met eyes. An exchange of unsaid words passed through them. They could feel each other.

"And Son, Chichi tells me you're in high school. How is it?" Goku gained his firstborn's attention.

"Good," he replied quickly. Goku blinked.

"Uh, okay. That's… good. Any new friends?"

"Yep."

"Hm…" Goku furrowed his eyebrows together.

"Hormones," Chichi whispered in her husband's ear. Goku blinked again.

The group reached the booth finally and waited their turn to enter. When they made it to the front of the line, Goku opened his mouth, but Gohan cut him off.

"Two for the Junior Competition, please," he said. Goku faltered. Gohan's voice had gotten so deep. It was… startling.

"Names?" the man behind the counter said, pen in hand. He fixed his glasses and peered up at the young man. Gohan smiled in return and pointed down. The man blinked and looked over the counter.

"Trunks Briefs," Trunks growled in frustration. The man nodded and smiled, scribbling the name down. Goku plucked his youngest son off of his shoulders and set him on his feet.

"Goten Son!" he said enthusiastically. Trunks pouted at him. Goten gasped, then copied the pout. Angry. Yes, he was supposed to be angry that he had to fight with all the little kids. But, he couldn't help but giggle. Trunks rolled his eyes.

"Next?" Goku opened his mouth.

"Gohan Son," Gohan cut him off again. Goku clamped his mouth shut, still stunned by his firstborn's assertive voice. After the man scribbled the name down under the Adult Division, he peered back up at Goku. His eyes widened.

"And Goku Son!" the man said happily. Goku nodded quietly, still staring at his boy. No, his boy wasn't a boy anymore. His boy was a man. Physically, as well as mentally, a man.

His boy was a man.

He looked over to Majunior.

They had the same face. The same eyes. The same skin. The same stature. The same voice.

They were the same.

His little Gohan was a man.

Again.

-

TBC…

[1] I honestly have no idea how many years the WMATs are apart. Let's just say it's ten, okay? Every ten years there's a Tourney.

Maybe I write better when I'm overstimulated. I feel like this chapter was better than the last few. But, oh, well. We're only getting started! The REAL fun hasn't gotten here yet.

Next chapter is drawings. Who will fight whom? And, Goku has a lot to catch up on. Gohan has… a girlfriend…?

/~drtrunksbriefs


	10. I Don't Mind

Finesse

Author's note: Busy week. Busy, busy, busy week…

-

The group of saviors, after entering into the competition, followed the crowd through the gates and in front of a large building. The crowd gathered around the large red double doors.

"Ladies and gentlemen…" said a man holding a microphone. "Allow me to proudly introduce to you… the World Martial Arts Champion and Earth's Hero… Mister Satan!!" The doors swung open, releasing a gust of mist. As the mist settled, it revealed none other than the One and Only.

As the crowd screamed in delight for the Savior, Gohan grinned happily and stepped forward. A hand grabbed the back of his shirt and tugged on it.

"Down boy, down," Majunior mumbled. Goku looked at him confusedly.

"Gohan, I didn't know you liked Hercule." Gohan looked up at his father and blushed slightly.

"Oh, it's not him… it's the girl standing next to him. The one with short black hair. See her?"

Goku looked back up at the afro'd man and, sure enough, there was a teenage girl standing next to him. For some reason, the way the girl held herself as she looked up at Hercule reminded him a lot of the way Chichi did when he would break something. Goku shivered. He half expected the girl to whip out a frying pan and whap Hercule in the back of the head with it.

The man with the microphone, after getting a few words of wisdom from The Champ, held his microphone up to the girl's mouth eagerly.

"Miss Videl… this year you are entering the Adult Division… what would you do if you got paired up with your father?" The crowd waited eagerly for her answer. Videl gave the man a slightly annoyed look and crossed her arms.

"I dunno. Punch him?" she mumbled coldly. The man faltered for a moment, but recovered when Hercule began to laugh.

"Ah, that's my girl!" Videl couldn't help the small smile that pulled on her lips. She opened her eyes and looked out on the crowd. Finally, she linked eyes with Gohan and a full grin graced her face. She looked up at her father, who was distracting the media. Taking this as her chance to get away, she did just that.

Gohan watched her sneak around the crowd, skillfully keeping herself out of the media's eye. With every step she took, his smile grew more and more excited. His eyes widened. Twenty feet… ten feet… five feet…

WHAM!

A body collided with his, effectively catching him off guard and shoving him into his father. Goku caught the teen easily and looked down.

There was a blonde latching herself onto his son's chest. Goku blinked.

"Gah… hi, Erasa," Gohan forced a weak smile and let the bubbly blonde girl cuddle him for a moment longer before unlacing her arms from around his neck and pulling her off like Velcro. He looked up and waved at Sharpner, who, in turn, waved back with a smirk.

As soon as Gohan pulled away from his father and regained his balance, another body slammed into him- harder. A grin spread across his face and he hugged the periwinkle blue eyed girl.

Majunior shifted nervously and cut his eyes at the two blondes nearby. Neither looked quite happy. The time traveler gulped. He cleared his throat.

Remembering the others, Gohan and Videl broke away from each other. Both teens were blushing lightly.

"Ah, hey, guys. These are my friends at school." He pointed to the tall, blonde male, "Sharpner," he addressed. Sharpner nodded once, glancing over the faces of the group behind his friend. Gohan pointed to the blonde girl, "Erasa." Erasa stopped frowning at Videl and waved at Gohan's other friends animatedly. Gohan looked down at the female crime fighter. A lump formed in his throat and his cheeks darkened.

Videl grinned and nodded to the group. "Videl," she addressed in Gohan's place. Gohan's cheeks darkened even more and he smiled.

"Yeah."

Goten took this moment to jump from his father's shoulder's to his brother's. He landed lightly and leaned forward, forcing Gohan to bend forward, albeit a little annoyed. Goten flashed a dazzling smile at the three teens.

"And-and, Videl is Gohan's girlfri- mffghmf…" Goten's sentence was cut short by his brother's palm against his mouth. Sharpner raised an eyebrow. Erasa knitted hers together.

Krillen doubled over, laughing.

"Girlfriend! Wow, unbelievable! Lil' Gohan… has a _girlfriend_! Never thought I'd see the day." The former monk wiped a tear from his eye. Yamucha grinned and leaned over to the hybrid, cupping his hand around his mouth so Chichi wouldn't hear.

"You guys are using protection, right?" As soon as the words came from his mouth, he saw stars. Chichi smiled and unclenched her fist, pleasantly crossing them across her chest.

By now, Gohan's face had gone to full of color to no color at all. His grip on his little brother slipped, allowing the little boy to slide out of his arms and down his leg. Goten looked up at the older hybrid curiously.

"Big Brother?" he squeaked. Gohan's eyes were locked onto Majunior's form, unmoving. The oldest hybrid carried a solemn look as he stared down at his shoes. Pan leaned her head on her father's shoulder and laced her fingers with his. He didn't respond. After a moment, Majunior bit his lip and looked up, but not at his younger counterpart.

Instead, he looked at the two blondes behind. Sharpner's face was still. Erasa's was unbelieving.

"Gohan?" Videl nudged her boyfriend lightly. "Gohan, he had to find out sometime…" she tried to reason.

"Gohan," Sharpner called firmly, using a deep, formal tone that his friends hadn't realized he had. Gohan snapped out of his reverie and looked over his shoulder to his best friend. Majunior stiffened. Pan held his hand tighter. Sharpner's expression was unwavering, his voice steady as he spoke, "I need to talk to you. Come with me, please."

Without turning to see if his school mate was even following, Sharpner turned on his heel and headed toward one of the more reserved areas of the park. Gohan glanced back to his friends and family once, pulled away from his little brother, and followed the blonde.

-

When the two teens reached a deserted area, Sharpner still wouldn't meet Gohan's eyes. He supported himself with one arm against the wall and the other covering his face. Gohan watched him silently. Finally, his friend spoke, "Are you… really with Videl?" he mumbled so quietly that, even with the hybrid's acute hearing, almost didn't catch it.

Gohan sucked in a breath and let it out. Just as quietly, he answered, "Yes." The answer was point-blank. Sharpner flinched visibly. Gohan knitted his eyebrows together. "What's wrong, Sharpner?" he asked softly. Sharpner's breathing increased and his shoulders began to tremble.

"Gohan…" his voice was deep and husky, sounding as if the sounds were being scraped against his vocal cords. "How could you? You know that… that…" He trailed off.

"That what, Sharpner?" Gohan prodded, still not quite understanding. Sharpner turned around astoundingly fast and connected his fist with his best friend's cheek. Gohan stumbled back and held his cheek. It didn't hurt, but it certainly wasn't what he'd expected. He looked up at his friend outrageously. The other boy's expression was that of rage.

"That I'm in love with her! You _know_ that! You _know it_! But yet, you still go behind my back and… and… and _fuck_ her?!" Gohan's eyes widened. Sharpner continued his rant, "You bastard! You asshole! You prick! Cocksucker, Motherfucker, Twat!" The names went on.

"I didn't have sex with her!" Gohan shouted. Sharpner glared, his voice strained.

"Bullshit! You've gotten closer to her than I ever have, despite the fact that I saw her first!" Gohan stood up straight and glared hard at the blonde.

"You talk about her like she's some kind of material! She's a person, Sharpner! You can't claim her!"

"I. Saw. Her. First. You _knew_ that I liked her. You knew…" He swung another punch at Gohan. Gohan let it connect, and then he regained his composition. When he reopened his eyes, he saw Sharpner stalking away.

The hybrid let his breath go. He hadn't realized he'd been holding it. Was his heart beating fast, too? Yes, he could feel it. But, why? Sharpner was no threat physically. Had he really been afraid of a human?

Physically. Sharpner wasn't a threat physically. Gohan knitted his eyebrows together. What should he be feeling? He'd never been in this situation before. Should he feel angry? Guilty? Jealous? Superior? Proud?

Gohan watched his- now former- best friend turn the corner and disappear from his line of sight.

He put a hand to his chest. He felt… lost.

Could he chase after Sharpner like he had Videl?

It felt as if something was tying his feet to the spot. He couldn't move them. He wanted to. He wanted to so badly. But, if he did catch up to Sharpner, what would he say? _I'm sorry I'm dating Videl_? No, that would be lying. Gohan wasn't a liar. _You can have her_? That was out of the question. There was no way Gohan was going to just give her up.

No way.

-

Majunior held his head as if in pain. He watched as his younger counterpart regained control over his legs. He watched as, instead of going after the boy's best friend, he turned the other way and returned to where his family and friends were located.

Pan hugged her father gently. Majunior shook his head.

"He's making the same mistakes."

-

Finally, Gohan found where the other Z Fighters had decided to run off to. Erasa had already left, having supposedly "seen her parents and wanted to catch up". Videl was the first to greet him. The two exchanged expressions. She understood.

Apparently, Sharpner had not taken the news easily.

"Your uncle and Pan ran off around the time you did," Videl informed. Gohan nodded. While he was fighting with Sharpner, he could feel their energies nearby. Watching. Like always.

Videl smiled at him gently and jerked her head over to the Z Fighters.

Who, in a similar case, were watching as well.

"Videl!" Goten chimed, walking up to the teenage girl. She smiled and bent down to his level.

"Yes, Goten?"

"Can you kiss me like you do Big Brother?" The little boy puckered his lips and closed his eyes.

Gohan slapped his forehead, his previous embarrassment returning ten-fold. The Z Fighters nearby chuckled- whether at the first Son or the second. Gohan slid his hand down his face and looked away.

Just behind the bushes, he could see a white cape. The firstborn grinned. All of his previous worries flew out the window as they always did when the green man was in sight.

"Piccolo!" he exclaimed and rushed over to the tree. As predicted, Piccolo was meditating quietly. He opened one eye and smirked.

"Gohan."

The hybrid felt like a child in the wilderness again, as he always did when the green man was in sight.

-

Goten and Trunks had waved goodbye when they were summoned to prepare for the Junior Division. Those Z Fighters who were not competing in the Tournament- Chichi, Yamucha, Bulma, Ox King, Puar, Roshi, Oolong, and so forth- left to take their seats in the stadium around the same time. Now all that was left was the competing fighters: Goku, Gohan, Majunior, Pan, Videl, Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillen, and 18.

Videl walked behind Goku. She watched the dead man talk animatedly with Vegeta and Krillen.

"I thought you said your dad was dead," she'd said to Gohan earlier.

"He _is_ dead. He has a halo," he'd replied.

"Then how did he come back to life?"

"He's not alive. He's still dead. He's here to visit for twenty-four hours."

"But… how?"

"I'll tell you later."

Videl sighed, recalling the conversation over and over. _Later,_ he always said. _Later, later, later_. Well, when will _later_ be?

That's when she would ask Majunior, but sometimes when she resorted to that, she would wish she hadn't. The man would just make it even more confusing.

"Baba brought him back from HFIL with her magic," Majunior had stated in a monotone voice, like always. He never explained why unless she asked. She assumed he was following the "don't ask, don't tell" rule.

How frustrating.

Still, as she looked up at Goku's back, she couldn't help but remember what Gohan had told her about him a few months ago.

_My mother is human. My father is not._

She couldn't help but look at Goku like an animal. The man's eyes were completely black. She remembered when Gohan transformed in front of her eyes. He'd said that his pupils were actually completely dilated. Maybe Goku's eyes were completely dilated, even at rest?

'Maybe it's a trait Gohan gets from his father when he's golden like that,' she thought. He was still half human, after all. He obviously got his eyes from his mother. Chichi had big, cinnamon brown eyes, just like her two boys.

Later, the group flew through the preliminary rounds. They would have a sure spot on the Tournament, even if Vegeta hadn't completely destroyed the punching machine. At least the rest of the Z Fighters were able to prove their strength before the Prince ruined it for everyone else. In no time, the Fighters found themselves gathered around a stand holding up a box. The announcer happily held up the sheet of paper containing the passing contestant's names.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen. We're going to draw numbers. Whichever number you draw will determine which round you fight in. When I call your name, come up and draw a number.

"Let's begin. First up is… Goku Son!" When the announcer said the name, a large grin broke out onto his face. "Goku, wow! It's been so long! The last few tournaments have been boring with a capital 'B'." Goku laughed and stuck his hand into the box.

"Hmm. Number nine," Goku smiled at the little ball and handed it over to the announcer. The blonde man grinned and took it delightedly. As the monk jotted Goku's position down on the bulletin board, the announcer motioned for Goku to bend down.

"Hey, what's that thing on your head?" he whispered. Goku laughed.

"Oh, it's a halo. You get one when you're dead."

"Oh." As Goku walked back, the announcer called the next name. "Gohan Son?" Gohan slowly stepped up to the box. The announcer smiled, "Relative of Goku?"

"I'm his son," Gohan mumbled and pulled a number out. The announcer blinked.

"You're awfully quiet to be Goku's kid." Gohan smiled softly at him and held up his number. "Number five."

Majunior watched his younger counterpart return to his side. The older time traveler bit his lip. 'He was so happy a while ago.'

"Majunior Son?"

'Is he showing signs of Bipolar disorder or teenage hormones?'

"Uh… Mage."

'I wish Trunks were here. He could diagnose this brat in a second.'

"Hey, you nutcase! He's calling your name!" Vegeta growled and shoved Majunior toward the box. He blinked and walked up to the box. The announcer gave him a wary look.

"Hey, you okay, guy?" Majunior nodded numbly and dug through the box of numbers. The announcer forced a smile. "Okay, then. Are you a relative of Goku, too?"

"Uh… I'm his older brother." Majunior pulled out a ball. Number thirteen. The announcer's eyes widened behind his sunglasses.

"I didn't know Goku had an older brother." Majunior laughed dryly.

"Neither did we." He flashed his number at the monk and walked back to the group.

In no time, all the lots were drawn and the competitors were marked down on the bulletin board. The results came up this way:

1st Match: Krillen vs. Pan

2nd Match: Videl vs. Spopovitch

3rd Match: Gohan vs. Kibito

4th Match: Shin vs. Piccolo

5th Match: Goku vs. Vegeta

6th Match: 18 vs. Hercule

7th Match: Majunior vs. Yamu

"If it weren't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any at all," Krillen mumbled. Pan grinned and ruffled his hair as if he were a child.

Videl glared up at Spopovitch. She didn't like to be judgmental, but she was sure this guy wasn't quite right. He was super buff, had a large "M" tattoo on his forehead, and glared at her as if she were a piece of meat.

Gohan shifted nervously under Kibito's stern gaze. The man was a giant with red skin, white hair, and pointy ears. He was like an older, redder Piccolo. Except… Piccolo was scary when he and Gohan first met. This guy is just unnerving.

Shin, Kibito's comrade, on the other hand, was short and purple and tiny. He was Krillen's height and had a white Mohawk and a creepy smile. Piccolo furrowed his hairless eyebrows. He knew this person, but from where?

Goku and Vegeta, of course, were pumped up for their match. They sent one another challenging smirks and comments, such as, "Get ready to lose, Kakarott," or, "Someone should teach you how to tell a joke, Veggie-head. That wasn't funny at all."

18 leaned against the wall idly. Her competitor hadn't even shown his face yet. Oh, how she was just _dying_ to fight him.

Majunior wasn't paying any attention to his competitor at all. His eyes were on his younger counterpart, silently wishing he could just protrude into the teen's mind and read his thoughts. That would make things so much easier. Gohan took in a sudden breath. Majunior's fingers inched toward the syringe of lithium hidden inside a capsule behind his belt.

'Whenever you're ready, Gold Fighter. Whenever you're ready.'

-

TBC…

I'm proud to announce that during the making of this chapter, my dog had puppies! Irrelevant to the story, I know, but I'm excited!

Anyway, please review. They make me happy and, as I've said many times before, encourage me greatly to continue with the fanfic.

/~drtrunksbriefs


	11. What Happens Now And Then

Finesse

Author's note: I can write at school now! And yes, Mirai Gohan is just that paranoid. The last thing he wants is a repeat of his own timeline.

-

The crowd screamed in excitement at Hercule "letting" Trunks win the bonus match. He laughed heartily, expertly ignoring his throbbing cheek. Little Trunks stared up at him blankly, then past him. A large smile broke across his face.

"Gohan!" he exclaimed and waved from the arena. Gohan, having been spotted under the entrance to ring, smiled and waved back.

"Too bad Goten didn't win," Videl mused. Gohan nodded.

"Aw, Trunks cheated," the said boy replied. Despite his sour tone, he couldn't help but giggle.

"Cunning Trunks. That's just like him," Gohan said.

Majunior smiled fondly and leaned against the banister. Yep, that was exactly like Trunks.

The two boys had put up a good fight. They gave the crowd a show worthy of their money, that was for sure. After all, how many times do you see two elementary school children pummel each other while floating in midair and appearing to be on fire? Not often.

Hercule left the ring via the opposite entrance from where the Z Fighters were located. The announcer grabbed Trunks's arm hand held it up, declaring him the victor.

"And the winner of the Junior Division is… Trunks Briefs!" The crowd cheered loudly.

As soon as Trunks accepted his childlike version of the Champion Belt, he rocketed off of the arena and hooked his arms around Gohan's legs, nearly knocking the older hybrid over.

"Hey, Big Bro, did'ja see me win?!" Trunks asked excitedly. Gohan grinned and scooped the lavender haired boy up into his arms and prodded his chest playfully.

"Yep! But youuu cheated!" Gohan accused playfully, poking the child's chest a bit harder. Trunks smirked and batted his hand away. He held up the little golden belt.

"Did not! I won fair-and-square."

"Yeah! And he promised that I could have two of his toys! Any two I wanted!" Goten hugged his brother's leg and looked up at him. Trunks shook his head quickly. Goten's eyes widened and he slapped a pale hand over his mouth.

"What?" Gohan inquired. He looked back at Trunks, who smiled nervously. "You bribed him?"

"N-no, I just promised so he'd stop complaining…" Trunks trailed off, noticing Gohan's blank expression. The royal hybrid swallowed.

"Big Brother, don't worry! It's okay, I don't mind." Goten tugged on his brother's pant leg gently, trying to regain the man's attention. It worked. Gohan blinked and shook his head, then smiled down at the little boy.

"Right."

Majunior chewed on his lip nervously. What was that? Was the teen hearing voices? Was he seeing things? What was he thinking? How was he feeling? Majunior shook his head. Frustration. If only Trunks were here.

-

"These are incredible seats!" Chichi exclaimed, playing with a tuft of little Marron's hair. Krillen's daughter sucked on her slushie happily. On the girl's other side sat Bulma, who was nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, we have a great view of the fight. Say, do you think Goten and Trunks have changed already?" the blue haired woman inquired. Chichi sighed.

"I don't know. I knew I shouldn't have left those two alone. Separate, they're sweethearts, but together, they're worse than their fathers." This made her smile a little, remembering her husband. Bulma chuckled.

"Aw, Chi, you should know better than to worry about those two. The most trouble they could get in is…" she trailed off. "You're right; you shouldn't have left them alone."

Sharpner glared out to the ring, only halfway listening to the two ladies chat on the row below. Blah, blah, blah. That's all they were saying. Damn women. He let his eyes travel to the backs of their heads.

His eyes widened.

That was Gohan's mother.

Suddenly, Sharpner felt himself hating his luck even more. Why did he and Erasa and that kid with the glasses have to buy seats located right next to the mother and friends of the person he hated most?!

But, wait, this could prove to be helpful. Sharpner ignored the unusual silence from Erasa and listened closer to the two women.

"I hope my boys don't hurt each other too badly. Especially Goku. I know he's excited and everything, but Gohan has school! He can't go to school with cuts and bruises."

Hmm, so Gohan really was in the Tourney. Sharpner smirked. No way that bastard was going to win.

"You worry too much, Chichi," Bulma comforted her friend by patting her back. Below them, a man with short black hair leaned back.

"Besides, shouldn't you worry about Pan more? I mean, she could seriously get hurt. She has only one leg, you know."

"Yamucha! That's just prejudice. Pan can take care of herself. She _is_ Gohan's daughter."

Sharpner's eyes widened. Gohan has a daughter? Pan was Gohan's daughter? That was impossible. Pan was Gohan's age. The black haired man flinched and pointed to the blondes behind the two women. Slowly, they turned around.

"Oh! Hi, Honey. I'm sorry; I didn't know you were there…" Chichi smiled nervously. How much had he heard? Sharpner shook his head.

"No, its okay, Mrs. Son…" he mumbled and looked away quickly. Chichi turned back around, flashing a panicked look at their friends on the next row down.

-

Pan stood next to the banister and hopped from foot to foot excitedly. Krillen groaned, his head in his hands.

"Oh, dear lord Dende, please give me a break…" he mumbled. Pan flashed a huge grin.

"Not a chance." Krillen groaned again.

Soon enough, the announcer put his microphone up to his mouth and threw his other hand into the air. "Are you ready?!" The crowd screamed. "What? I didn't quite hear that." The crowd screamed again, louder. "Are you saying… you want to see some fighting?" he tried to clarify. The crowd only screamed incoherently. The announcer turned to the competitors. "Get ready, Fighters, this crowd is out for blood. I think they want to choose the…

_Strongest Under the Heavens_!" The crowd cheered even louder. The band played a joyous tune. Policemen attempted to keep the crowd from overflowing into the ring.

The announcer guy grinned and adjusted his black sunglasses. "In the first match of the first round, we have the lovely Pan Son against one of our veterans, Krillen!" The two said fighters took their cue and walked down the pathway leading to the upraised ring. The announcer continued, "Krillen was a competitor as a child and a teenager back in the good old days when the World Martial Arts Tournament was still small. He put up a good fight each time, and we can expect to see another out of him this go-around, as well.

"Pan is a new face here. At the tender age of sixteen, she just barely passes the age requirement to be in the Adult Division! But, being the niece of one of the previous Champions- Goku Son- we can rely on her to give Krillen a run for his money!"

"You're tellin' me…" Krillen grumbled as he and Pan walked up the steps and into the ring. "This is so freaking unfair."

The announcer guy held up his hand to signal the start of the match. The Tournament monk slammed the gong. Pan smirked, idly shifting her weight from side to side. A bead of sweat dripped down Krillen's forehead, but he fell into a fighting stance anyway. The smile didn't leave Pan's face.

"And let the match begin!"

The Saiyan girl easily dodged Krillen's attacks, as if she were pretending the whole thing was a dance. Krillen growled, cursing the superior Saiyan genes to Hell and back.

However, one misstep by Pan caused her to falter in her balance. Krillen took the chance and swooped his leg under hers, making her fall roughly onto her back. He formed an energy blast in his hand and tossed it at her dazed form. She snapped out of it and rolled away, just in time, as the blast scorched the tile.

The crowd "ooohed" and "aaahed". The two competitors were moving so quickly across the ring that if you were to blink you could probably miss the whole match. The fans leaned forward on their seats, amazed.

Yeah, this Tourney'll be good.

In a final- and her only- blow, Pan sideswiped her grandfather's best friend and sent him flying out of the ring. She had already backed him into the corner (or, her into the corner, she jumped over him, and then attacked). Nonetheless, she won. The crowd cheered, chanting her name.

Pan smiled and jumped out of the ring, landing neatly next to Krillen. She bent down and offered her hand. Krillen smirked and took it, pulling himself up with her help.

"I guess I didn't have a chance in the world," he mumbled. From in the stands, he could hear his daughter cheering his name excitedly. Krillen chuckled, "But I've got something even better."

-

As the two re-entered the entryway where the other competitors were watching, they were greeted and congratulated. Majunior ruffled Pan's hair affectionately, "That's my girl," he said.

"Hey, Videl, you're up," Gohan nudged his girlfriend gently. Videl sent him a challenging grin and walked up to the banister.

"Wish me luck," she called.

"Break a leg," Goku wished.

"Or two," said Pan. Videl chuckled and patted her back. This made Pan grin giddily.

The announcer guy stepped up to the ring and held his microphone at hand once again. He held it up proudly and spoke, "Our next match is between the legendary Videl Satan and Spopovitch!"

The stadium rumbled with excitement at the sound of the crime fighter's name. Videl glanced up at her opponent and flinched.

A string of saliva dropped down his chin. Veins pulsed with blood on his arms and neck. He panted long and slow, like he was struggling for air. 'That's what steroids will do for you,' Videl thought darkly. He slowly turned his head and locked eyes with her. He grinned. Videl felt nauseated.

The two took their cue to begin their trot to the ring. The announcer guy continued, "Videl is the daughter of The Man Who Beat Cell, Hercule! She's been training in Martial Arts since she was seven. From seven to thirteen, she followed her father's training style, and then continued on her own.

"Spopovitch was our last tournament and made it all the way to the finals, but he has certainly changed his routine since then! After being beaten by the Satans once, can he win this time? We'll just have to see!"

Videl stood opposite of the heavy man. She inspected him closely.

It looked as if he had been training extremely hard since his last tournament. His hair was completely gone and his skin was a sickly white. Videl furrowed her eyebrows. Was his "M" tattoo pulsing? Videl mused for a moment. Who would get a tattoo of the letter "M" on their forehead?

The announcer guy held up his hand to signal the gong. The gong sounded. The match began.

-

TBC…

I WROTE THIS ENTIRE CHAPTER IN CLASS.

/nothingtodo

Alright! Awesome. Second match beginning. Will Videl win? Or will she be crushed?

Next chapter, another shard of Gohan's sanity crumbles away… What's causing it? Yes, Mirai Gohan snapped after his mother died. Of course, you don't just _snap_. You wear away to a breaking point. Is something wearing on dear Gohan's consciousness?

Boy, I feel poetic! Perhaps I should keep writing in Web Page Design class (a class I wanted, but realized I won't be able to use in life unless I buy Microsoft FrontPage).

Review please.

/~drtrunksbriefs


	12. As Long As Youll Be My Friend At The End

Finesse

-

Gohan watched intently as his girlfriend swiftly dodged the huge man's attacks. Something wasn't right with that guy, but Videl seemed to be handling him well. He knew she would. She always did. If she can stand up to a dangerous criminal aiming a machine gun to her head, she can stand up to that loaf.

A sickening crack sounded from Spopovitch's shoulder as Videl's leg collided with it. Gohan's heart began to race. She was winning!

Wet, muffled "thumps" sounded from Spopovitch's face as Videl's fists dug into his skin. Gohan bit his lip, not noticing his breath quicken.

"Gohan…"

Spopovitch grunted in pain as Videl quickly threw him over her shoulder, making him land hard on his back. Gohan's face heated up.

"Jesus, Gohan, you're not going to pop a stiffy from watching your girlfriend beat someone up, are you?" Krillen wrinkled his nose. Gohan snapped out of his trance and looked over to the former monk.

"Wh-what? Huh? Ah, did you say something, Krillen?" he asked in a hurry. Krillen chuckled and shook his head. Gohan returned his gaze to the arena.

Spopovitch had already gotten to his feet, throwing more punches at his tiny opponent. The half-breed pouted slightly. That musclehead just wouldn't give up.

Not that Gohan was complaining, of course.

He blinked.

He watched as Videl glared hotly at Spopovitch, then sent another round of punches and kicks.

He looked up into the stands, where his mother was sitting, then back at Videl, then back at his mother.

He sighed.

Oh, why did he have to find a girl that was _exactly_ like his mother?! Not that he didn't love his mother, or anything. He adored his mother. She was always there, always loving, always the perfect parent, period. Of course, at times, she could be a little strict. Then again, all good parents are a little stri-

Gohan's eyes widened. Just one row above his mother, there was his former best friend. Sharpner. Sitting quietly. Watching Videl. An unhappy frown on his face.

That pang of emotion from before struck Gohan's heart, making the boy unconsciously press his palm to his chest.

'Do I miss Sharpner?' the hybrid thought to himself, the wet, sickening blows he was so fascinated with before only an echo in his short-term memory. Gohan concentrated on the emotion. Guilt. Unhappiness. Loneliness. Was it any of those?

He looked over to Majunior, who met his eyes instantly, like always. Those steady brown orbs gazed into his own, eternally patient. Did he know Sharpner in his timeline? Did he know Erasa? Gohan looked back at the ring.

Did he know Videl?

A faint memory pushed for his attention.

Something deep in his gut told Gohan that, in fact, Majunior had known these people. He looked back up at Majunior, who was still watching him, as if secretly trying to pry into his counterpart's mind.

If this gut feeling was correct, then Majunior had to feel this… this… longing. Longing to just be friends with those humans again. Just friends. Normal friends.

_Normal_. Did Gohan long to be normal? He looked back up at Sharpner, who was still watching his love sadly.

Gohan chewed on his lip. Sharpner was his only connection to a normal teenage human life. He wanted that faint thread of normality back. He wanted it so badly.

Videl's scream knocked the hybrid out of his musing. His eyes immediately returned to the ring, wide and panicky. He's never heard her scream that way before. The crowd booed and yelled in horror.

She was being crushed underneath Spopovitch's enormous foot.

"No, Videl!" the call erupted from Gohan's chest. He leapt forward, only to be caught by none other than his own father. Goku pulled him back into the entryway where Videl was a bit harder to see. Gohan struggled against him. "Let me go! Dammit, let me go!" he yelled. Goku kept a tight grip on his son's arm.

"Shh, Gohan. It's okay. It's okay," Goku soothed. His words fell on deaf ears. Gohan's attention was completely on the girl in the ring that was being beaten within an inch of her life. Another large fist connected with her stomach, forcing air out of her lungs. That is, if there was any left. In its place, blood spurted out, painting the tile a lovely crimson.

Goku glanced up at Majunior, whose frame was tight and tense, but his eyes were strained on Gohan's face. Goku looked back down to his teenager. He looked like a caged animal. The expression on Gohan's face was pure panic. His eyes were wide, pupils dilated, muscles coiled, but still constantly pushing and struggling against his father. Over and over, he whimpered, "No, Videl, Videl, no…"

Keeping a grip on him was getting harder and harder by the second. With each elevated scream from the human girl, electricity sparked and cracked around her boyfriend's body. Goku knew that if he didn't let the teen go soon, one of them would be seeing stars. He had a good feeling of who it was, too.

"Gohan, you can't go out there. Don't worry, he can't kill her." These words only sent more panic through the hybrid. Majunior's hand slowly reached for the capsule in which the syringe of mood-stabilizing drugs was held. Gohan's breathing quickened. Majunior's fingertips brushed the metal.

A loud buzzing drilled in Gohan's ears. All he could hear was Videl's painful screams. His vision became sharper. His heart rate elevated. Energy pricked his pores.

Spopovitch formed an energy blast in his hand. Videl put and arm over her face weakly, struggling to lift herself from the bloodied tile. Majunior lifted the capsule out of his belt. Spopovitch fired the energy blast, a sick grin on his face. Videl screamed.

The energy exploded from Gohan's skin, forming little facets of gold that swirled around his body in a maddening craze. The others nearby were blown back from the sudden wave. The golden hybrid ripped away from his father and blasted forward, only seeing Videl's burnt form crumpled on the arena floor. Her screams echoed off the walls of his memory, painful and crystal clear.

Majunior burst into Super Saiyan and snatched his counterpart by the neck, barely able to keep his footing from the force. Gohan screamed and struggled against him, furiously kicking and punching, but his eyes stayed on his girlfriend's broken body. The oldest hybrid popped the capsule open and positioned the syringe, but stopped. The announcer's voice stopped, as if it were from a video on pause.

Suddenly, his vision went black. He could feel the hybrid in his arms pause, but his energy still swirled around madly. Images popped into Majunior's head. Images of Videl.

Her body bloodied and limp like it was out there in the ring. Then, her dazzling smile and ferocious sense of humor. Then, her large blue eyes, glistening with water. Then, her heated face and closed eyes, hair wild. Then darkness again.

Along with the images came emotion associated with them. Pain, exhilaration, sorrow, passion, emptiness.

Majunior sucked in a breath, his vision returning. Someone pressed "play" and the announcer's voice continued where it left off, the crowd's voice coming back with it. Quickly, Majunior re-steadied his weapon against Gohan's skin.

But before the medicine even made its way out of the tube, Gohan dropped out of Super Saiyan and relaxed in Majunior's arms. The boy's breathing returned to normal.

Majunior noticed his hand trembling, syringe still locked in position. He swallowed hard and looked over his counterpart's shoulder.

Spopovitch had stopped torturing the poor girl and simply shoved her over the side of the arena. She bled into the grass, trembling and weeping. Gohan, very gently and calmly, pulled away from Majunior. The older hybrid let him slide away.

He felt numb. He let out a long breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

He looked down at his hands. As soon as he'd touched his younger counterpart, all the past emotions from losing his Videl had come back full-force. He recapsulized the syringe and put it back in his belt. He then pressed his back against the damaged wall and slid down it.

That couldn't have been his Empathy- the ability he'd learned from Dende as a child, allowing him to feel others' pain and effectively take it away from the person it was coming from. No, that was only for physical pain. He couldn't take away emotional pain. As soon as his skin touched his counterpart's, it was like flipping on a light switch. Electricity that was different from the electricity associated with the Ascended Super Saiyan state had immediately jolted Majunior's heart and memories that weren't his- but were, in some strange way- filled his vision.

Did it have something to do with them being the same person? But how was that possible? He wasn't psychic or anything.

Or maybe it was just all in his head. Maybe just seeing the situation and Gohan's reaction coming on so suddenly had recalled memories to the front of Majunior's mind. Majunior looked up. Gohan was cradling Videl's body tenderly, mumbling something about taking her to the infirmary.

The two hybrids met eyes for a split second, then looked away.

_Did he feel it, too?_ they both thought.

-

TBC…

Awfully short chapter. I know. I'm sorry. Next one's longer, I promise, and a lot more happens.

(insert The Twilight Zone song here) Gohan and Mirai Gohan are getting the same emotions, but only when they touch. Is it their identical trademark abilities, "Empathy," working on each other? Or something else?

Review!

/~drtrunksbriefs


	13. If I Go Crazy

Finesse

-

One hand resting on Videl's battered arm, Gohan thought deeply. He'd finally found the infirmary, where the doctor had immediately begun to patch and clean the crime fighter up. "She's fine," the doctor told the worried hybrid after a few minutes of tedious inspection, "She just needs some rest. No fatal or permanent injuries whatsoever."

Of course, that meant that Videl would have to walk around in casts for a few months. Gohan could just see her pouting, glaring hotly at the bandages. She wouldn't want anyone to help her around, carry her books, or hold the door. She never accepted help.

She'd blow a casket if she knew she were in the hospital right now, as well.

A small smile pulled on Gohan's lips.

The smile disappeared soon after, though, as he remembered what had happened before. The last thing he knew, he was angry. No, angry was an understatement. He was _furious._ Livid. Enraged. He remembered thinking, picturing, Spopovitch's dead and bloody body underneath his fist.

Then everything was gone. All he could see- all he could hear- was Videl. Everything about her. Every memorable moment he'd ever spent with her. It all spun in his head like a video on repeat.

But then, suddenly, the momentum he'd worked up stopped. Something handled his neck, prohibiting moving farther. His memories of Videl melted, disintegrating into nothing, and in their place were new memories. Memories of a person who- although he looked like Gohan himself- did terrible things that the real Gohan himself would never do.

The images were horrifying. It was like a bad movie. Blood, organs, and flesh that was not his own dropped from his fingertips and onto cold, hard, wet pavement. Screams of torture, burning, and pain filled his ears.

Then it all disappeared, as if he'd woken from a dream. His heart calmed, his energy faded to normal. He could think straight again. Majunior let go of his neck and backed away, a frightened look on his face.

What had happened?

Numbly, Gohan had continued to Videl's torn body at a much calmer pace. Without a word, he gently stole her from the paramedics and carried her to the infirmary himself.

Which, is where he was now.

Videl's eyes were closed. She was breathing evenly now. Her pained whimpers had stopped a while ago. The heart monitor beeped rhythmically. Pain killers ran from an IV tube to her veins, feeding her nerves.

The door swung open and clanged against the adjoining wall noisily.

"Videl?!" Hercule stomped in, his blue eyes wide and worried. Media reporters and cameramen pushed behind him, trying to get a scoop on the teenager. "Videl, my sweet little girl! My little…" his eyes fell on Gohan, then on his hand cradling hers. Hercule trembled and his nostrils flared. He glared at Gohan with the same intensity that Videl would have. "You! Why didn't you help my daughter?!" he shouted. He slammed the door closed in the media reporters' faces. Gohan drew his lips into a fine line. Hercule continued, "You could have helped her. You knew he was hurting her- That… that Spopovitch guy. You knew he was hurting her, so why didn't you help her?!"

Gohan opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out.

The door swung open again, this time more steadily.

"Because I stopped him," Majunior mumbled and brushed past the Champ. He walked up to Gohan's side of the bed and slipped something into his hand. "For her," he answered the teen's questioning gaze.

Gohan looked down into his palm. A perfect Senzu bean lay on his pale palm. He looked back up at his older counterpart, "How?" he asked, his voice hoarse from the screaming he'd done earlier. Majunior hesitantly laid a scarred hand on Gohan's head and stroked his hair comfortingly.

"Your dad got it," he responded. "He felt it was the right thing to do. Now you don't have to listen to her complain about her casts." This made Gohan smile softly.

"Am I invisible?!" Hercule bellowed once again. Majunior flinched back and held his ear with his other hand. Hercule ignored it, "Why'd you stop him?!" He pointed an accusing finger at the time traveler, then stopped, taking a double-take at the man's face. "Wait… I know you. You're Pan's father." Majunior nodded once and shunned the Champ once again.

"Gohan, are you angry?" Majunior asked suddenly. Gohan blinked and knitted his eyebrows together.

"I was earlier, but not anymore. Now I just feel… empty."

Majunior chewed on his lip, gazing down at his younger companion. The younger boy tore his eyes away and gripped Videl's hand a bit tighter. Hercule stepped forward, not allowing Majunior to forget his presence.

"You're Pan's father. That means you were at the Cell Games."

"Nice observation," Majunior replied coldly. Hercule glared at his back.

Gohan stood from his stool and leaned over the bed, inches away from Videl's face. The battered girl breathed softly on his cheek, oblivious to his presence. Majunior bit down on his lip and turned away, forced to look at Hercule instead. The two parents stared at each other.

"Get well soon, Sweetheart," Gohan whispered. He gently pressed the Senzu through her lips and sealed them with a kiss. He then regained his composure, slid past the two adults in the room, and out the door.

-

"I've just received word that Videl will indeed be fine! Give a round of applause, ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer guy reported with delight. On cue, the crowd went wild. The announcer guy adjusted his black sunglasses and held up the microphone, "So, onto our next match! It's between two newcomers, folks!"

Gohan and Kibito stepped up to the banister. Gohan stared down at the pavement ahead of him, only hearing every fifth word of the announcer guy's speech.

"Gohan," Piccolo called. Gohan's head snapped up. Piccolo laid a large, green hand on his former student's head. "Don't be afraid." The hybrid blinked, then smiled.

"Our two formidable competitors are Gohan Son and the mysterious Kibito. Gohan is- note the surname- Goku's firstborn son. He began training under Piccolo Daimou when he was four, then trained under his father when he was ten. Gohan is only seventeen, but training basically all his life and under Martial Arts masters like that… I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley, okay?

"Kibito is… well, mysterious. He's obviously a stoic guy, because he wouldn't tell us anything about himself. But, with arms like those, hopefully he can give our Son boy a good fight."

The two entered the ring and stood opposite to each other. Kibito's face never changed and his eyes stayed trained on Gohan's face. The gong sounded, but neither of them moved first. Gohan gazed down to the tile that was still stained from the previous battle. He chewed habitually on his lip. He let his brown eyes follow the skid mark of dried blood where Spopovitch had dragged Videl to the side of the arena by her leg.

A pang of anger struck his heart and he looked over his shoulder to where Spopovitch was watching. His anger only grew when the sick man shot him a grin.

"Uh, guys, you can fight now." The announcer guy scratched his head. "Come on." Gohan looked back to Kibito, but the red man hadn't moved. He just kept drilling his vision into the hybrid's person.

"What's wrong? Waiting for a written invitation?" Gohan challenged. Kibito didn't flinch.

"You bait me, yet when I don't fall for it, you don't just attack first. You don't really want to fight." Kibito stated in a deep, monotone voice. Gohan's eyes widened. Kibito continued, "I think you don't really see me as a threat, because you're not even at your strongest." Gohan glared at him.

"How would you know that?"

"Show me your true form," Kibito demanded calmly. Gohan gulped. "Show me your Super Saiyan."

"H-how do you…" Gohan's voice trailed off. He looked over his shoulder. Piccolo was leaning on the banister. Majunior and Pan stood close by. Videl was next to the time traveling girl. A smile pulled at Gohan's lips when his eyes met Videl's periwinkle blues. She smiled back. "It's time," he said. "Time you learned just what I am." She nodded, able to make out what he was saying from where she stood. Majunior and Pan glanced at each other and nodded.

Gohan turned back to Kibito, "Alright. I'll transform for you. It's your loss." Kibito nodded. The hybrid braced himself and clenched his fists. The crowd's booing drowned into the back of his consciousness. The familiar energy pricked at his center and pushed outwards.

"Listen everyone," Shin- the short purple man with the white Mohawk- suddenly spoke up. Everyone looked at him in surprise. "I'm certain that as soon as Gohan transforms into a Super Saiyan, Spopovitch and Yamu will try to attack him. None of you should try to save him."

"Er, I don't know how strong you think he is, Shin, but Gohan can take care of himself…" Krillen mumbled. Shin smiled his creepy little smile. Majunior glared out to the ring.

"I'm not promising anything," he grumbled. Piccolo gave him an incredulous stare.

"You mustn't help him," Shin stated firmly. Majunior bit his lip. Shin smirked, "no, they're not after his life." The oldest hybrid's eyes widened. He gaped at the purple man. Shin continued, "They're after his energy."

"If he's in pain, I'm helping him," Majunior regained his composure. Shin's smile only widened.

"I know, Gohan. I know." Majunior's eyes widened more. Videl knitted her eyebrows together.

"His name is Majunior," she corrected. Shin laughed softly.

"No, it's not. Remember, Videl?" he questioned. She blinked.

The tile trembled and crumbled to the pulse of power emanating from the teen. Blue electricity crackled from his body, striking the ground and running the creases of the tile. His hair stood on end, defying gravity even more than it was before. Thin snaps of electricity darted up his legs, through his chest, and sparked his hair, turning it golden. His pupils dilated fully and faded into a haunting teal.

His audience- including the Z Fighters and Kibito- silenced their boos and watched intently. The air felt heavy; powerful.

"D-d-do you see what I see?!" Erasa stuttered. Sharpner- eyes wide- nodded slowly.

"I'll never get used to this," Bulma mumbled from the next row down from the two teenagers.

The suspense built in the atmosphere before finally exploding, accompanied by the crackling electricity and a powerful scream.

Videl's eyes were the size of dinner plates. She looked over to her two former roommates. They were calm.

"Wh- how can you be so… calm? Aren't you surprised by this? He didn't transform like this that day in school," she squeaked. Pan smiled gently at her.

"Videl, if he'd done this in school, we wouldn't _have_ a school anymore." Videl nodded. This made sense. She looked back up at her boyfriend. But he… he was still so stunning.

Finally, the explosive energy stilled. Even though the air still felt dense, it also felt warm. Too warm for October. Gohan's scream died down and he glared up at Kibito.

"Happy now?"

The red man smirked, looking past the glowing hybrid.

Gohan followed his gaze, only in time to see Spopovitch and Yamu heading for him. He growled in frustration and braced himself, but suddenly his control failed him. His limbs and energy became nonresponsive.

Spopovitch held him in a headlock needlessly as Yamu pulled out a white, oblong-shaped tool and shoved the needle into Gohan's abdomen. Pain twisted from the stab and forced its way out of Gohan's body in the form of a scream.

Majunior looked back at Shin, who had his purple hands out in front. He looked back to his younger counterpart, then back at Shin.

"You… you're doing this!" Majunior accused and leapt from the banister. His arms and legs, too, became locked in place, as if he were on freeze-frame.

"Gohan, you mustn't help your counterpart. He will be fine."

"C-counterpart?" Videl repeated softly. Pan glared at Shin.

"Hey, shut up! Let my dad go!" she demanded. Shin paid her no mind, which only angered the quarter Saiyan more. She growled. "I'm warning you, Shrimp!"

Shin glanced over to her once and smirked. "You're just like your mother," he addressed. Pan stepped back in shock, eyes wide.

"You… you know my mother?" she questioned.

"Don't listen to him, Panny!" Majunior ordered through his motionless mouth, struggling to regain control over his body. He watched with helplessness as Yamu sucked Gohan's power dry through the needle-like faucet of his little machine.

Videl pushed past his frozen form and dashed toward the ring. "Leave him alone!" she screamed. Shin's eyes widened. He couldn't stop her- both of his hands were full with super-powerful Saiyan.

The crime fighting female bounded up the steps, launched herself into the air, and delivered a powerful blow to Yamu's neck, cracking it effectively. Spopovitch released his grip and dodged another blow from his former opponent. Shin let Gohan go and the hybrid fell to the already-stained tile, completely drained of his energy. His hair had already returned to its soft black and his eyes to their same brown.

Spopovitch and Videl locked in another round, this time the human girl taking the upperhand.

"Spopovitch," Yamu called. Videl gasped and looked back over to the other sickly-looking man who was supposed to be dead and leaking blood on the edge of the arena. Yet, he was standing over Gohan's limp body, white container in hand. "It's time to go."

"Aww…" Spopovitch grunted and lifted himself into the air. Together, the two men blasted off of Tournament Island.

Videl immediately dropped to her knees next to Gohan, who stared up at her blankly.

"V'del…" he squeaked. His voice was soft, weak.

"Shhh… Don't talk. Save your energy." Videl placed a hand on the hybrid's chest soothingly. He blinked and looked up at her, dazed.

Shin reluctantly let Majunior go. The older hybrid, without delay, turned on his heel and hoisted the strange purple man off the ground by his collar.

"Who the hell _are_ you?!" Majunior demanded. Shin merely smiled and, with surprising strength, pulled away and hovered in the air.

"Come with me and you'll find out everything," he stated simply. With a firm nod, he blasted off after Yamu and Spopovitch.

Majunior breathed heavily and gazed at all the stunned faces that were the Z Fighters. Goku took a deep breath and lifted into the air.

"I'm going after them," he stated. He hovered over to the ring where Videl was watching Kibito position a hand over Gohan's chest. "Can you take care of him?" Goku pointed to his son, who was still limp on the ground. Kibito and Videl nodded in unison. As Goku lifted off, Gohan watched him, still dazed.

"N-no, Dad, don't go…" he begged airlessly, but his father was already too far away.

Energy filled his body, replenishing every pore. The hybrid blinked and sat up, and then was attacked by a fierce hug, courtesy of his girlfriend and future daughter. Gohan grinned and looked up to where Majunior was watching him, a distressed expression on his face.

"You may learn what is going on by following me," Kibito suddenly said in his stoic, monotone voice. He was still staring directly at Gohan. "I promise to tell you everything, if that is what you wish." Gohan nodded.

"Wait, I'm coming too," Videl gripped her boyfriend's arm. Gohan shook his head.

"No, it's too dangerous. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you, Videl."

Majunior chewed on his lip and looked away.

"I'm coming," Videl demanded. Gohan smiled and nodded.

"Alright, but only if you promise to get out of there when I say so." Videl agreed.

"Then let us go," Kibito lifted himself into the air. "All of your other friends have left to follow my companion. Let us go now."

Pan looked up at her father, but couldn't see his face. She held his hand tightly and, together, the five of them blasted into the air.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Mister," Videl stated firmly, but her tone contradicted the smile on her face. Gohan grinned and nodded.

"I'll tell you everything you want to know."

-

TBC…

Aaah… chapter thirteen. Boy, doing these chapters is going to get a lot harder, thanks to my limited amount of time. I don't know for sure right now, but (hopefully!) I'll be getting a job soon. But don't worry; like I promised with Impasse, I'm not giving this story up. No way!

Reviews = Next Chapter

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	14. Then Will You Still Call Me Superman?

Finesse

-

"I'm glad you have decided to come with me," Kibito stated without passion. Majunior scowled.

"Yeah, yeah. Now, spill it. What's going on?" Kibito tilted his head down. The five of them were soaring through the air at impossible speeds. Tournament Island was long behind them, forgotten in the winds. "C'mon, Grandpa." Kibito's hairless eyebrow rose.

"Grandpa?" he questioned. Majunior smirked. Kibito returned his gaze ahead of him. "Well, then. You may not know this, but my companion is the Supreme Kai."

"Supreme Kai?" Videl repeated, shielding her eyes from the heavy oncoming winds. "What is a Kai?"

Kibito's face didn't change. "A Kai is an overseer of the worlds."

"Like a god?"

Gohan answered, "Kind of. They're high up on the heavenly anarchy. You have your gods- beings that watch just what happens on your planet. When you die, you see King Yemma, who lives in the Other World. Purgatory, some call it. He looks over your life and assigns you to either Heaven or HFIL."

"HFIL?" Videl attempted to watch him past her arms. Gohan smiled.

"Home for Infinite Losers. Hell."

"Then you have your regional Kais; a person who lives in the Other World and watches over a certain quadrant of the universe," Majunior stated, gaining the human's attention.

"North Kai, South Kai, East Kai, and West Kai," Pan elaborated. Videl nodded.

Majunior continued, "Then you have your Grand Kai- a person who watches all the other Kais. After that is Supreme Kai; or, that little purple freak."

"Don't talk about the Supreme Kai that way, you insolent little mortal! He's your creator!" Kibito snapped.

"My creator is a short, black-eyed, purple-skinned warlock." Majunior smirked. Kibito growled dangerously.

"Quiet, Mage, you already have a place in HFIL for you." Gohan rolled his eyes.

"It's cozy. Right next to Cell and Freeza," Majunior answered. Pan thumped her father on the head.

Videl blinked. HFIL, order of gods, and the Other World. Gohan seemed to notice her confused expression. He smiled gently and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"You'll meet him someday, Videl." Her eyes widened in horror, making him laugh.

"Continuing from before all this digression: The Supreme Kai and I are trying to hunt down Majin Buu; a super-powerful being created by the master wizard, Bibidi. However, Bibidi has died and Majin Buu was sealed away in a ball somewhere on this planet. It would seem that after Buu was sealed away, peace would return, but that is not so. You see, Bibidi had a son. His name is Babidi.

"Babidi has taken his father's place as the master wizard. He is aiming to free Majin Buu from his ball, but he can't do so without the right amount of energy. Pure energy. That's where you come in, Gohan," Kibito informed and glanced over to the young hybrid. "Yamu and Spopovitch are henchmen of Babidi and they stole your pure energy in order to help awaken Majin Buu. The Supreme Kai and I needed Spopovitch and Yamu to take the energy, knowing that they would head directly for Babidi and his ball. Then, we can find and destroy him before he releases that… monster."

Gohan knitted his eyebrows together. "So… you used me as bait?"

Kibito's face became even colder, if that were possible, "To be blunt, yes. You were our bait."

Gohan shook his head and smiled softly. He then looked over to his older counterpart, who met his eyes, as always, "Looks like you guys are in for more than you originally wanted. I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to deal with our matters."

Videl shot him a incredulous glare, "Gohan, they're your family." Gohan looked down at her and frowned.

"Kibito, is there anything else we need to know?" Gohan asked softly. Kibito glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

"That's all. Now we just need to catch up with the Supreme Kai and your father."

Gohan nodded and held his love closer to his chest so he could drag her behind the others. "Videl, we should probably talk now." Her eyes widened, alert, and she agreed.

"Tell me, then."

"What's the first thing you want to know?"

She thought, wondering the biggest questions first. She knew he was half human, half alien. She knew that his alien blood could allow him to do things that were impossible for humans, such as change his hair and eye color and go at impossible speeds and impossible strengths. She glanced up at Majunior and Pan. Majunior was calm, still flying next to Kibito, while Pan's intention span had faltered and allowed her to continue with her usual flips and tricks and happy-go-lucky style of flying.

"Who are they?" she asked, still watching the other girl enjoy the sky. Gohan chewed on his lip.

"This will be a bit hard to swallow."

"Just tell me the truth, Gohan. If it's the truth, I'll come to understand it in time. It's better than understanding and believing what is actually a lie right away." Gohan took a deep breath and got a far-away look in his eye.

"You remember that first day in school when you overheard Mage and I talking? About timelines, and such?" Videl nodded. "Well, he and Pan are from a different timeline; they're from the future. Twenty years in the future.

"Mage, Pan, and their friend, Trunks, came to us first ten years ago. Pan was only six at that time. I was eight. They came bearing bad news; news explaining that our world was going to be destroyed by two androids named 17 and 18 in two years. They told us they were from the future- our future. They knew my dad, my mother, our friends, our enemies… Everything about us."

"Then that means they live in this timeline, too, right? Somewhere another Pan and another Majunior…" Videl's voice trailed off, noticing Gohan shaking his head negatively.

"No. Pan isn't born in this timeline yet. Trunks is born, of course. You remember the little purple-haired shrimp that beat my little brother. Yeah, that's the same Trunks. Majunior is… he is…" Gohan hesitated. Videl's eyes widened, seeming to understand. She glanced back and forth between Majunior and Gohan.

"Majunior's name isn't Majunior. Majunior's name is… Gohan. Gohan Son."

"…Yes. Majunior's real name is Gohan Son, and he is me, twenty years older. If he and Pan and Trunks had not gone back in time that day… I would grow up to be just like him. But since they _did_ come back, I don't know what will happen to me."

"But that means… Pan is your daughter?" Videl watched him closely. His face became distant again. A far away smile played on his lips.

"Yes, Pan is my daughter. My daughter from the future."

The female crime fighter felt a twisting feeling in her gut, but she didn't know why. A million thoughts filled her mind, but only one stood out from the rest.

"Then, who is Pan's mother?" Videl found herself asking.

"I don't know. Mage refuses to tell me. He says, 'It's better for you not to know. You knowing who Pan's mother is may destroy her chance of being born. So, just follow your heart. You'll see the light one day.'"

Videl concentrated on the ocean below them. "You said when they first came, they warned you guys about the androids. Then they went back to their timeline, right?"

"Yes, which is why I was so shocked when I saw them again that day in school."

"So… why are they back now? Is it because of Buu? Did they know about that?"

Gohan really hesitated now. A soft, warm hand laced its fingers with his, comforting. He looked down at Videl, who was watching him carefully. He took a deep breath and explained, "When Mage was my age, he snapped. I mean, he went completely insane. With one terrible event piled on top of another, on top of another, on top of another, and then death of a loved one after death of a loved one after death of a loved one… soon, he was the only person left to blame. All of it… suffocated him. Then, one night, his mother died in a car accident, and it finally just got to him.

"He killed people. People he didn't think deserved to live. People who cheated, people who were too beautiful, people who killed other people, people who were… too happy. He thought he was purging the world of the extremes, making the world a better place for the average man. He thought he was God.

"Bulma- I mean, the Bulma in their timeline- diagnosed him with Bipolar Disorder. He would fluctuate from one extreme to another. From mortally depressed to lethally maniacal. There were a few in-between bouts that consisted of normality, but he couldn't control them.

"Finally, he stopped. Bulma placed a defibrillator in his brain to regulate his moods. When he came to us, he was still insane. He was still… broken. But he was supported by the last three people he had left- Bulma, Trunks, and Pan."

Videl was quiet. She repeated the dark explanation over and over in her head, trying to comprehend the words. Finally, it clicked. She looked up at her boyfriend, who was as far away as ever. "He came back because he was worried about you, too, wasn't he?"

Gohan smiled softly and nodded. "He doesn't want me doing those same things. We didn't experience the same things, but he thinks it's still lurking, waiting. So, in turn, he lurks, waits. For as long as it'll take. That's why I moved in with him. That's why he works at the school instead of the hospital, like he's certified to do- ironic, huh?- That's why Pan goes to school with us and has all my classes and hovers around me constantly. So just in case I snap, too. So I won't hurt anybody."

"What about Trunks? Can Majunior and Pan handle… you… on their own? Pan?" Gohan smirked.

"Pan's cute and tiny, but she packs one helluva punch. Just like you. Cute and tiny, but lethal." He dodged as she swiped at his head. "What? It's true! You are cute and tiny. You only come up to my shoulder! And look, your wrists… ow! Hey, cut it out!" Gohan laughed and held her fist, but his laughter died down as his eyes met with hers. "Videl…"

Her eyes were watery, even as they rocketed through the atmosphere. Gohan swallowed the lump swelling in his throat, but it was no use.

"Gohan… I don't want you to become… like that. A monster. Oh, God…" her voice choked. Gohan wrapped his arms around her tightly, holding her close.

"Don't worry, Videl… What worries me is… even if I go crazy, will you still…"

She buried her face in his shoulder and let her energy go, allowing Gohan to carry her across the waves of water.

"I'll still call you Superman," she whispered. He smiled and hugged her tighter.

"That's good."

-

TBC…

Okay, all together now! AWWWW. Well, maybe not.

Next chapter, Buu comes out, and… -cough- well, I really shouldn't tell you what else happens. It's worth the anticipation, though! I swear!

By the way, I came up with a spiffy name for the prequel to _Impasse_. You know, the story I asked you all to vote on whether or not I should write it? The one that goes through Gohan's life in the Mirai timeline? Yeah, that one. I got the basics down (name, major events, bits and pieces of dialogue).

Spiffy, yes, quite spiffy.

Review = Next Chapter

/~drtrunksbriefs


	15. If I'm Alive And Well

Finesse

I'm glad you all liked the last chapter! And, I just have to say it…

If you haven't read **texaspeach**'s fanfic, Blast to the Past, you really should! It's amazing, well developed, and extremely well thought-out. After the fight with Cell, a smidgen of the evil robotic cockroach latches onto Gohan's shirt and… poof! He's in the Saiyan timeline. It's Gohan and Bardock (and, at the time this chapter was written [February 2009], Raditz, too). This story will seriously get your creative juices going, and you won't know what happens next. Seriously. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?! Update, tp! D:

Go read it!

Oh, and I find it kind of funny that everyone seemed to figure out that the chapter titles of this fic are pulled from the lyrics of the song Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down at the same time. Don't worry, it's not a bad thing, I just got several reviews in the same cluster of chapters saying, "I just realized…"

And I know that some of you were asking for longer chapters, so here you go! Long chapter! (well, only nine pages.)

-

The two lovebirds- one still holding the other- caught up with Kibito and the newly uncovered time travelers. Pan halted her carefree flying tricks and kept up a steady rhythm next to her father, who seemed more nervous than ever. He refused to look over to the happy couple.

'He's afraid of what she's thinking,' the Saiyan girl thought to herself. A small smile crept across her mouth. Sometimes her daddy was just so bashful.

"We need to catch up with the others," Kibito stated suddenly. "Let us hurry."

Gohan held his lover securely and followed the other three. Soon, they were rocketing even faster through the sky. Videl pressed her head to his chest, attempting to block the rough winds from ripping her face off. She inhaled Gohan's familiar aroma; it was a sweet smell, strawberry-like, even though she'd never seen him eat anything strawberry or even seen a strawberry field of some sort around his house. Shouldn't he smell like cedar or something? He _had _lived in the woods all his life. But, despite its illogical presence, it was comforting. It was the kind of smell she could fall asleep to. It was Gohan. She smiled.

In no time, Shin and the other Z Fighters were in sight. Videl nearly had fallen asleep, but the gentle rumble of Gohan's voice in his chest roused her from her drowsy state.

"Hey, Dad!" he called, gaining Goku's attention. The purebred grinned and waved, allowing his son to pull up beside him.

"Hey, Squirt." Videl smirked at the nickname from father to son.

"Hey, Dad," Gohan said, his voice practically emanating happiness. The human girl could feel the alien's eyes on her. The feeling made her skin crawl. _Animal. I can't help but see him as an animal._

"Hey, Videl," Goku greeted. He sounded human enough. Videl pushed her hand against the wind to wave and flashed a small smile.

"They're making their decent!" Shin shouted over the winds. The group slowed and gradually descended back to Earth. Finally, Videl could reopen her eyes, now that there weren't who-knows-how-many miles per hour winds trying to rip her face off. She let her eyes adjust to the bright light. She looked around and saw that they were in some sort of wasteland- or what was created to be a wasteland. The land nearest to them was nothing but rock, rubble, and red dirt. Far off, Videl could spot mountains and trees.

Gohan and the others landed on one of the cliffs overlooking a plain area. He hesitated, then let her plant her feet on the rock. "Careful," he warned. "This rock is loose."

Videl smirked and stepped away from him, showing that she could hold her own. The smirk promptly left her face when she bumped into someone. She turned, then wished she hadn't.

Majunior chewed on his lip, trying not to make eye contact with her. He watched her in his peripheral vision as she apologized softly and returned to his counterpart's side. She then took a moment to stare at him, most likely trying to see the resemblance between the Gohan she knows and the Gohan she just realized was Gohan. Majunior sighed and looked back at her, expecting her to look away, but she didn't. The two held their gazes until Majunior found someone tapping on his head.

"Pay attention, Daddy. Suppress your energy," Pan whispered. He shook his head and peered over the rock that Shin was kneeling on.

"Yes, Gohan, suppress your energy. We've found them."

"I don't understand. We've checked this place before. How could they have hidden their ship?" Kibito's frown deepened.

"Looking at all this damage," Videl, surprisingly, spoke up, "I'd say they must have it underground or something." Immediately, she regretted what she said, considering how stupid she must sound. A spaceship underground. What?

Shin's eyes widened. He glanced over his shoulder at the human girl. "That's it! They have to have it underground. But that means… that means Babidi knows Kibito and I are on Earth! Otherwise, they wouldn't bother hiding their ship." Videl released a soft sigh of relief. She looked around to the faces of the Z Fighters- Gohan's friends and family- but found no one staring at her oddly.

'I guess if you're one of these guys, not much surprises you,' she thought.

The door opened, revealing a tall, pointy-eared man with a jet black goatee. On the top of his pink head were sharp horns that looked to be underneath his skin. By his side was another man- or, creature, rather. It was a yellow-green color and had a large, oblong-shaped cranium with only a few stray hairs spread over it. The thing only came up to the horned man's knees, just barely.

The two stepped into the open where Yamu, Spopovitch, and another creature were standing. Yamu quickly handed the red man the white container that was holding Gohan's energy captive.

"Th-that's Dabura! The King of the Demons!" Shin stuttered, a bead of sweat dropping down his purple scalp. Pan cocked an eyebrow.

"Is he strong?" she asked. Shin nodded numbly.

"Well, you don't get to be the king of demons by being nice."

Goku rocked back and forth, gushing with anticipation like a child in a candy store. "Wo-o-ow, he's about as strong as Cell! I can't wait to fight him!" Shin and Kibito looked at the Saiyan incredulously.

Vegeta scoffed at his rival's childishness. "I just want to fight you, Kakarott."

"Kakarott?" Videl whispered behind her hand to her boyfriend. Gohan nodded.

"His Saiyan name."

"Vegeta's an alien, too?"

"Yep."

The two were cut off by Piccolo shushing them. Gohan smiled, amused at the green man's sudden anxiety. "Aw, its okay, Mister Piccolo."

"Quiet, Gohan," he ordered, but not harshly. Videl raised an eyebrow. Piccolo snapped or growled to everyone but Gohan.

The two men exchanged words with Yamu and Spopovitch until a horrified expression came across the larger man's face. Spopovitch began to tremble, blood pumping through his swelled veins. His entire body began to expand. Even his eyes pushed out of his skull, spinning and twitching on their own accord.

Finally, Spopovitch exploded into a mess of blood and guts. Videl screamed, but it was muffled by Pan's hand clamping over her mouth. The Saiyan girl's eyes were just as wide and her skin just as drained of its color.

Yamu ran and rocketed into the sky, screaming in horror. The other creature, besides the horned man and the green thing, lifted his hand and simply blasted Yamu to smithereens.

All this time, the small green creature was smiling wickedly. "That's Babidi," Shin pointed out. "He doesn't look like much, but his magic is powerful. He was able to get the king of the demon plane under his control with it."

"How could you not see this coming, shrimp? You're the Lord of Lords," Majunior spat angrily. Piccolo choked.

"Gohan, behave, please, before you make me stroke."

Babidi and the creature that killed Yamu carried the energy-storing device and returned to the tiny ship entrance. Only Dabura stayed outside. Vegeta clenched his teeth together and fisted his hands. "They know we're here!"

Dabura rocketed through the air straight up to them. He stopped on a dime in front of Kibito, holding his clawed hand up. With a wicked laugh, Kibito turned into dust. The Z Fighters fell into defense mode, but were caught of guard when Dabura began spitting at them. Piccolo and Krillen were hit by the saliva, albeit thoroughly disgusted.

"Wh- Krillen!" Goku shouted, rushing toward his friend. As soon as he reached the former monk's side, though, Krillen had already turned to stone. Goku whipped around to Piccolo, who had also turned to stone. "What the hell?!"

"Dodge his saliva, it turns people to stone!" Shin exclaimed.

"Well no shit!" Majunior snapped. Dabura turned his sights to Videl, who was being shielded by her boyfriend. The demon king appeared in front of them, ready to blast her away, but he stopped due to the deep, threatening growl that erupted from the hybrid's chest. Dabura smirked.

"A bit possessive, are we?" he mocked. Gohan bared his teeth. Dabura laughed and stood back. "Alright. Fine. I'll let you keep her. But, not for long, of course. If you want your other friends back to normal, come with me into the ship. If you don't, I will personally hunt you down and turn your woman into my lawn ornament." With that, he turned on his heel and returned to the entrance to the ship.

Gohan relaxed slightly, but his heart was still pounded. He looked down to Videl, who had frozen to the spot, eyes wide. He hugged her comfortingly, then looked up at his mentor's stone body.

"…No, Gohan, you can't go after him," Shin demanded.

"How else am I going to get Piccolo and Krillen back?!" Gohan snapped, holding Videl tighter. She'd yet to move a muscle. "If I don't, he'll kill Videl, too."

Shin hesitated. "The only way to turn Piccolo and Krillen back to normal is if you kill Dabura."

Gohan nodded and looked down at the human girl. "Videl, go back to Tournament Island. It's too dangerous for you here." Her eyes met his numbly.

"N-no. I'm staying here, with you." Gohan didn't fight. He looked up at his father and nodded once.

"Then let's go in."

"Gohan's right. Let's go." Goku stood to his feet and took off toward the ship, followed by his fellow fighters.

Shin slapped his forehead and sighed in frustration. "Idiots…"

-

The remaining fighters floated down the passageway and into the depths of the ship. They reached a large, circular room with only one door. The room was empty and had no windows (not that they would have been able to see anything, anyway). In the center of the room, however, there was a small pedestal, but had nothing on it. "Trap door?" Pan pointed.

Shin floated into the room and landed on the tile lightly. He had a very sour look on his face. "You've fallen into Babidi's trap. Now we cannot leave until we defeat him."

"Well, no one asked you to come along, Shin," Majunior said offhandedly. Pan slapped his arm, making him tighten his lips and glare lightly at her.

Vegeta smirked and crossed his arms. "Well, we'll just blow the whole place up if we have to get out early."

"No! You'll wake Majin Buu if you do that. Listen, even if Buu is not at his full power, he can wipe out everyone on this planet, and that includes you!" Shin clenched his purple fists in frustration. Never before had he met a group of such hardheaded people. Couldn't they understand what he was saying?

"Hey, don't worry, Shin," Videl spoke up. "I'm sure Earth and all its people will be fine if these guys have anything to do about it." Shin stared at her incredulously.

"How can you be so confident?"

The only door in the room slid open with a hiss. Steam rolled out and cleared to reveal the creature that killed Yamu. It smiled wickedly.

"Hello, my name is Pui Pui. Master Babidi is on the bottom floor. There are three more floors for you to fight in after this one. However, you won't be going any further unless you defeat me…" it laughed. The creature named Pui Pui put its fists on its hips and smirked. "Who wants to die first? Ah… er…"

The group of Saiyan men were huddled in a group. "I get to kill the skinny freak first!" Vegeta demanded. Goku retorted with a pout.

"No fair! You can't just claim him."

"I saw him first!" Vegeta growled.

"Hey, we'll do Rock-Paper-Scissors for it," Gohan suggested. "Okay? One, two, three, go!" Pan and Videl stood off to the side with Shin. Pan giggled and rubbed the back of her head.

"Be fair!" she called. Videl glanced over to her, then back to the little group. She smiled.

"Haah, Rock smashes scissors!" Vegeta cheered, a proud grin flitting across his features.

"Aww, best two-outta-three!" Goku pleaded. Vegeta crossed his arms, making the other purebred pout more.

Majunior and Gohan looked at one another, then down at their hands. They'd both drawn Paper. Goku had drawn Scissors. Vegeta had drawn Rock. "Vegeta gets this floor, Goku gets the second. That means there are two more floors," the older hybrid stated. Gohan nodded and held up his hand again.

The two drew their weapon, but it ended up the same. Rock. Gohan chewed on his lip. 'Mage is me, so he's going to think like me. So I just have to think like someone else. But who? Like Pan? Like Dad? No, wait, what if he's thinking the same thing? Then that means I should think like myself. But what if he's not? Oh, I'm going in circles!' Gohan held up his hand and they drew their weapons. The same. Scissors.

"Damn!" Majunior cursed. Gohan stood back and sighed with frustration.

"Stop copying me!" he ordered.

"I'm not!" Majunior countered. They growled at each other.

"Ah, boys, why don't you flip a coin?" Goku suggested. Majunior blinked.

"Anyone got a coin?" he asked. The fighters looked at one another. Who carried money on them during a tournament match?

"No, but," Pan pulled a capsule out of her belt, "I have Giru! He has a random generator on him, and we can decide that way." She popped the capsule open and revealed a small, white robot. Videl blinked and tilted her head. It was a strange looking contraption, what with is large round body, oblong-shaped head, and tiny arms and legs. Pan poked it. "Wakey-wakey, Giru! I need your help!"

The contraption came to life, setting off a tiny sparking sound. Its single red eye lit up and it floated from Pan's arms into the air. After a second, the little contraption spoke, "Registering. Giru… giru…" Its little body shuddered and a tiny click was heard. "Pan!"

"Giru!" Pan squealed and hugged the robot. "Aw, I missed you too, buddy!" Giru repeated its own name happily. "Giru! I need you to help me make a decision."

"Oooh, (giru, giru), between panties again? (giru, giru)." Pan's face turned red and she pulled the thing closer to her face, giving it a threatening glare.

"Shaddup about that, Giru!" she growled through her teeth. The robot trembled and obliged, apologizing continuously.

Majunior blinked. _Huh_?

"No. I need you to randomly decide between two factors. Factor one," she looked at her father, "and factor two," she looked at Gohan. Giru buzzed happily.

"Well, that would be… (giru, giru, giru), factor two!" Gohan punched the air.

"Yes, I get stage three!"

A bead of sweat dripped down the back of Pui Pui's head. One of his eyes narrowed in confusion. 'Earthlings are so strange,' he thought. A voice shouted in the back of his head, _Why aren't you fighting, Pui Pui?! Destroy them!_ Pui Pui flinched. 'Yes, Master Babidi,' he replied. He regained his composure and smiled wickedly at the group.

"Now that that is all… settled… allow me to kill you one by one." Pui Pui slid into fighting position. "Who's first?"

"That would be me," Vegeta answered arrogantly. He disappeared from his spot, then reappeared next to his odd foe. With one swoop, Pui Pui smashed into the blank wall. He struggled to sit up on the now dusty ground. With wide eyes, he stared at the Earthling.

How can an Earthling be so strong? They weren't this way two-hundred-some years ago, according to Dabura. These were not average humans.

"You picked a fight with the wrong planet," Majunior smiled. "And the wrong people. We're the strongest people here, and there's nothing you can do to stop us."

Vegeta blew Pui Pui to oblivion. A voice came from nowhere, cursing them to hell and back. "Why you little brats!" It shouted. "Well, then, go through the hole in the floor to the next room. Then, you can meet your ends. Don't think it'll be so easy this time!"

The voice cut off and disappeared into silence. Goku skipped over to the middle of the floor and watched it open. He was nearly gushing with excitement. "My turn! My turn!" he chanted. Gohan held Videl's hand and led her over to the hole behind his father.

"Ready?" he asked. She grinned and nodded. Together, they jumped after the purebreds. Pan followed them to the hole excitedly and jumped down, Giru following her closely. Shin was left standing in the room with what remained of one person he and Kibito had feared.

"H-how? How did they do it? I never knew that Saiyans were so strong!"

-

"Saiyans, huh? So, they're not from Earth. But, why are they defending it?" Babidi mused as he watched Shin regain his self-control and jump down the hole. Dabura stood close behind, thinking of the same question.

"If I remember correctly, the Saiyan race was wiped out years ago by Freeza. There were only four survivors, but if I'm right, I see five before me. Five Saiyans, one human, and a Kai," Dabura informed. Babidi knitted his green, hairless brows together.

"Damn, they're breeding. I assume the one fighting Yakon right now and the one that killed Pui Pui are the fullbloods. They've mated with human women and created the others."

"Master Babidi, the girl with the robot is more human than the two half-Saiyan men. One of those hybrids is her father."

Babidi smirked as Goku defeated Yakon by letting it eat too much light energy. The reptile-like foe exploded with a sickening _pop_. "They're almost here, Dabura."

"But, sir, why is that a good thing?" he inquired. Babidi trained his eyes on Goku.

"That one is full of purity." He pointed to Vegeta and Pan, "Those two are too rebellious." He pointed to Majunior, "That one knows better." The green-skinned wizard focused on his last remaining candidate. "That one… I want him."

"His heart is pure, sir."

"No, not quite… not quite. It is pure now, but under the right circumstances… he's even more wrathful than me!" Babidi giggled maniacally. "I want you to put him under those circumstances, Dabura. Go on. Be his opponent."

Dabura bowed gracefully and did as he was told. Babidi smiled and gazed at Gohan with a fondness that was almost endearing.

-

TBC…

I love Shin's personality. Ufufufu.

Reviews = Next Chapter

/~drtrunksbriefs


	16. Will You Be There

Finesse

-

The giant white door slid open with a hiss.

"Finally!" Vegeta exclaimed. Gohan stepped away from Videl and clenched his fists. His smirk melted away, however, when he saw who stepped onto the tile.

"No! Not Dabura!" Shin fisted his purple hands in his Mohawk desperately. "Gohan, you can't fight him alone!"

"Calm down, Supreme Kai," Goku assured happily, "Gohan's a big boy. He can handle it. Dabura's about as strong as Cell, and Gohan handled that guy like a champ."

"I should fight, too," Majunior declared and moved to step forward, but he was stopped by Goku's hand on his shoulder. The hybrid looked behind him and watched Goku shake his head.

"This is his fight, not yours. Stand down." Majunior glared lightly and glanced over to his younger counterpart, but the boy had not taken his eyes off his opponent. Majunior sighed and stepped back to Goku's side.

"Fine, but if it gets bad, I'm going in." Goku didn't reply. Shin cocked a thin, white eyebrow.

"Sounds like you doubt your counterpart's abilities."

Majunior chewed on his lip for a moment, and then glanced over to the two women, who were watching him with curiosity. Pan blinked, then nodded. She understood. "It's not his abilities I doubt, Shin, it's his psyche." Majunior smirked and glanced over to the purple god. "All-knowing my ass." Goku coughed.

"Man, if only Piccolo were here to hear you talk to the Lord of Lords that way."

Gohan glanced over his shoulder to his friends and family before moving into a perfect fighting stance. Dabura, however, merely smiled at him, unthreatened. Gohan frowned and powered up into his Super Saiyan state. The red man rocked a jet black eyebrow, slightly impressed. "You can hide your energy level, and then call upon it in the blink of an eye?" It was more of a statement than a question. Gohan didn't answer.

Shin cupped his mouth and hissed, "Gohan, don't take anything he says to heart. He's going to try to anger you."

"Reading minds is an invasion of privacy, Supreme Kai," Dabura sneered, "So stop prying into this young man's head, will you? I'm sure he doesn't appreciate that." Gohan blinked and looked over his shoulder again to the mohawked god. Supreme Kai met his eyes with a shameful frown.

"It's for the best, Gohan," the Kai replied. Gohan narrowed his eyes. Shin sighed and replied to his thought, "For two months."

"_Two months_?!" Gohan repeated angrily. Shin batted his hands, trying to sooth the hybrid.

"We don't need a repeat of the other timeline! We were watching you for your own good!"

"You were _stalking_ me! It's bad enough that I have those two up under me all the time," the angered Saiyan teen pointed at Majunior and Pan accusingly. Pan looked down, ashamed. "I don't need more people watching my every move! I have more control than him!" Gohan's furious teal eyes landed on his counterpart. "I'm not like him."

Dabura chuckled, calling the hybrid's attention again. "Then prove it. Fight me, Gohan. Go on." Gohan lunged forward, but caught himself. He chuckled.

"Oh, no, I know what you're going to do. You're going to make me fight you and kill you, only to prove that I'm a murderer, too. Sorry, I'm not falling for that." Gohan straightened back up and drew his lips into a thin line. "I know some people deserve to die, but that's not my job."

"Then let's make it your job. Fight me and die in honor, or stand there like a coward. The choice is yours," Dabura rushed at him. Gohan sucked in a short breath and dodged the demon king's sharp blows, but just barely.

On the sidelines, Pan sighed and leaned her head in her palm. A slow ache of guilt throbbed in her stomach. They _had_ been stalking Gohan. Not trusting him. Never giving him any privacy, even in the most innocent of situations. Logging every movement, every word, and every expression on his face. A soft, warm hand patted her shoulder. Pan opened her eyes and looked over to Videl, who was watching with silent comfort. "Do what you have to do, Pan," the periwinkle blue eyed girl said, "He'll appreciate it in the end."

Pan smiled gently at her. "He told you?" she asked, "About us, I mean?" Pan motioned her hand to herself and her father, who was watching the fight absorbedly. With every blow, every scream, and every flash of energy, the oldest time traveler came closer and closer to interrupting the fight. Videl smiled back at the other female.

"He told me all he could tell me," Videl replied. "Even if I don't quite understand it, I heard him. He told me about the time travel and the androids and… you are his daughter."

Nodding, Pan frowned apologetically. However, Videl's smile only became forced. "Pan, I know this is out of line, and I know you probably can't answer me, but I need to ask. Who… who is your mother?" Pan drew her lips into a thin line and inhaled deeply.

"To be honest I… I never met her. She died while she was pregnant with me and, if Dad was not there, I would have died with her. I never knew her, I never talked to her, and I never saw her, except for pictures and videos. But, somehow, I feel like I'm close to her," Pan explained quietly as to not let Majunior overhear. As she mumbled the last sentence, she smiled fondly at the other teenage girl. Videl nodded, a bit sad. "My father never married. He never loved anyone like he did her. He never talked to anyone the way he talked to her. He never saw anyone quite in the same light as he saw her," Pan continued, mentally noting Videl's eyes shimmering slightly. "He knew that no matter what the situation was, he would never intentionally hurt my mother, yet he'd hurt for her every time."

Pan lifted Videl's head up by her chin, "But whatever you do, don't leave him behind. Don't let yourself fall into someone else's trap. Despite what I just said and despite how alike my father and your boyfriend are doesn't mean he'll turn out that way. Just have faith in him, no matter what. He loves you." Videl knitted her eyebrows together, determined not to allow the salty liquid escape from her eyes. Pan smiled at her gently.

"How do you know so much about relationships, Pan?" the human girl asked quietly. Pan pulled away and turned her attention back to the fighting ground.

"My father wrote me a very long letter. Maybe one day I'll let you read it."

Videl nodded. "I'd like that."

-

Gohan held his breath and drowned out the impact of his back slapping against the water's surface and the force of it billowing around his body, pulling him further into its depths. Babidi had changed the room again, making it seem like a hell-like cave rather than the spaceship it was. He watched as water filled his vision, blurring Dabura's form and deafening the monster's over stimulated laugh. Gohan allowed himself to sink to the bottom of the lake and sit on the wet floor.

'I need to blast him,' the hybrid thought. 'He's so fast, though. I can't get a good lock on him. And I can't get too close, he'll spit on me and turn me to stone…' a few air bubbles escaped his lips in frustration. He glanced up to the shiny surface. 'What the hell am I doing? Videl is up there. He could kill her!' His eyes widened in panic. Even though Majunior, his father, Pan, Vegeta, and Shin were all up there to fight Dabura in case the beast decides to come after one of them, but… 'Videl!'

Bracing one foot in the mud and pulling his hand above his head, Gohan fired an energy blast for the watery figure of his opponent. As the shot burst through the water's surface from one side of the lake, Gohan burst through the surface on the other side of the lake, effectively catching the king off guard. Dabura was busy holding the former energy blast at bay, so he didn't even notice Gohan behind him until the last minute. Dabura growled and considered the lesser of two evils for a second, then decided to let the energy go. It exploded on his chest, but allowed him the freedom to turn around and catch the hybrid's leg in mid-kick.

Even as blood trickled from his chest, Dabura chuckled. "Very clever," he commented. "Why so angry?" Gohan glared at him and tried to pull his leg away, but it was in vain. Dabura had a deadlock grip around his shin. "Why be angry at me? I'm not the one who was stalking you for the past two months, watching every… single… thing… you did." Gohan shook his head and swiveled around to punch the king in the face. The motion was jerky and uncoordinated, making it easy for Dabura to block and gave him just something else to keep the hybrid in place.

"Your future self and the Kai are the ones who don't believe you, Gohan," Dabura smiled wickedly, "not me. How do you know they aren't lying to you? That they aren't just trying to make you turn your back on them so they'll have more of a reason to kill you?"

"Shut up!" Gohan shouted.

"I can read minds too, Gohan. Do you want to know what your counterpart is thinking right now? He's thinking: "He's going to snap."" Gohan bared his teeth and let out a deep growl. Dabura continued, "And Pan, she's thinking of how you're going to be. Oh, that's just terrible… How could you do those things, Gohan? You?"

"Stop…" Gohan struggled against the monster's grip.

"And your father… Do you want to know what he is thinking right now? He's thinking, "That's not my son… he's a monster now. I haven't seen my son since Raditz kidnapped him all those years ago…"

"No, he's not! How do you know about that?" Gohan's voice cracked and his heart pumped faster. How could Dabura know something like that if he can't really read minds?

"And Vegeta is thinking of how weak and useless you are…" Dabura smirked, able to feel the hybrid tremble. Gohan's eyes were wide with disbelief. "And guess what? That girl you're so fond of… she thinks you're crazy."

Something popped in Gohan's chest, freeing all the anger and frustration he'd pent up since the Cell Games. All the guilt, all the sadness, all the desperation flowed freely throughout his body. "Shut up shut up shut up!" he demanded, struggling harder against Dabura.

"Look, Gohan! Your father doesn't want your counterpart to interfere…" the two glanced down to the ground, where Goku held Majunior in a tight grip, keeping the time traveler from flying into the battle. Goku struggled slightly. Was Majunior always this strong? He pulled harder on the hybrid's shoulders.

"Stop, Mage, stop. This is Gohan's battle, not yours," Goku pulled harder. The Supreme Kai knitted his white eyebrows together. Up in the sky, Dabura mumbled something else to the obviously pained hybrid. Whatever Dabura was telling him, it was having a huge effect. Gohan's mind was so jumbled that it was almost like a block to Shin's mind reading ability. He couldn't make anything out. Gohan's thoughts were too loud, too fast to comprehend. So, the purple god switched gears. He peered at Dabura.

_Good, Dabura!_ Babidi's voice cooed. _It's time_.

The Supreme Kai's eyes doubled in size. "Oh, no!" Dabura released Gohan, finally and moved away. Gohan doubled over, as if in pain, and screamed into his hands. Chuckling, Dabura quietly slipped out of the large white door.

"Gohan!" Videl shouted and jumped into the air in order to reach her boyfriend.

"Videl, stop!" The Supreme Kai called. "Babidi is trying to take over Gohan's mind. He must have realized his potential. There's nothing good to come from you trying to help him, so just leave him alone. He won't be able to hear you anyway. I can't even read his mind; he must not even be able to hear himself. Only he can deal with Babidi now."

Videl glared at him threateningly, "So, what, you expect me to stand here and let him scream? Well, I'm not! He's hurt! I have to help somehow…"

"Videl, stay," Majunior mumbled dejectedly. He watched his counterpart hover in the air and hold his head, screaming at whatever it was behind his eyes to stop. "Shin's right. We can't help right now." The warriors around him stumbled back.

"Y-you're agreeing with me?" Supreme Kai stuttered.

"Y-you're agreeing with him?!" Videl glared at her teacher hotly. He didn't meet her eyes. "All this time I thought you cared about him, but you're just going to let him suffer?"

Majunior dropped his gaze and shook his head. "I _do_ care about him! I care about him… like he was my own son. I'd die for him. But you're not understanding, Videl," he looked up, hot tears threatening his eyes, "that I know what he's going through. It's painful, it's terrible, and I'd never want anyone to go through it. But you have to remember: This is why we came here. If there was no threat of my timeline's Gold Fighter seeping into yours… then Panny and I wouldn't have even bothered coming here. I can love Gohan all I want, treat him like my child all I want, but he'll never be my child. He'll always be me. Myself in a younger body at a past event. He's not mine, he is me. And the last thing I want is a rerun."

Videl trembled and landed on the ground softly. Pan wrapped her arms around her in a comforting hug, but stayed completely silent. Gohan's pained screams and desperate pleas bounced off the cavern floor and vibrated the water. Videl clenched her fists and watched the person she loved cry out in pain. The energy swirled around him, crackling dangerously, but there was no concrete enemy to attack.

"Babidi will take him," Supreme Kai mumbled quietly. Vegeta flinched slightly, disgusted at the fact.

Finally, the energy settled and Gohan landed on his knees in the dirt with a soft _plat_. He crouched over, pulling at his golden hair desperately, and panted hard. His shoulders trembled. Then, all was silent.

"G-Gohan?" Videl mumbled. She stepped toward him, but he immediately flinched away, still holding his head. Videl's voice became firmer, "Gohan…" Said teen's breathing slowed to a normal pace and he lifted his forearms out of the dust. Videl's breath hitched in her throat.

On her boyfriend's forehead was an M tattoo, intricately burned into his skin. His eyes were wide; shocked, even. His hair was still golden and his eyes were still teal, piercing. Frighteningly ghost-like. "Videl," he mumbled. His voice was normal enough. One wouldn't be able to tell something was different if they were to hear him over the phone. But, looking at his face, the way he held himself… Videl felt, although she found it hard to admit, repulsed. This wasn't the Gohan she knew. Yet… _but whatever you do, don't leave him behind_. She stepped toward.

"Videl, stop," Majunior caught her arm. Gohan's eyes narrowed instantly. They burned into his counterpart's skin. Majunior chewed on his lip and motioned for Videl to follow him; to get away. "Videl, Pan, I need you two to get out of here. Now."

"But Dad-"

"Out," Majunior stared down at his daughter warningly. She glared back.

"No. I came here to help, not to be herded. I'm staying."

"Videl needs to get out, too, and you need to protect her."

"I'm staying, too," Videl stated firmly. Majunior's voice stuck in his throat.

Suddenly their surroundings changed again. A crowd's cheering and a band's playing surrounded them. "And Hercule wins the- huh?" the announcer guy stopped and adjusted his sunglasses.

Gohan stood up lazily and cocked his head to the side, as if trying to hear someone better. A small smirk formed on his lips and he locked gazes with his time traveling counterpart. Majunior met his gaze, ignoring the Tournament's shock at seeing their form of re-entry. "Uhh… aaand it's the guys from before! The Son family!" the announcer guy shouted into the microphone. Vegeta sighed and clapped a hand on his forehead.

"Yes, the Son family…" a wicked voice reverberated through the stands. The announcer guy blinked and looked into his microphone. "Or, more precisely, Gohan, Gohan, Pan, and Goku." The crowd looked at one another, searching for the one who was speaking to them. Babidi laughed. "I do believe it is your turn to fight, is it not, Majunior? Well, then, meet your match: yourself."

-

TBC…

Sorry for such a long wait (a week?) but school's been pretty hectic. Especially Chemistry. Bah, I hate it!

I also posted the debut chapter of _Pavisse_, the sequel (prequel, actually) that I made you all vote on earlier in the story. If you want to read it, it's uploaded to already. And be sure to leave a review!

Reviews = Next Chapter (sooner!)

/~drtrunksbriefs


	17. Holding My Hand?

Finesse

-

Goten shielded his eyes from the sun with one of his hands. With the other, he easily pulled himself over the railing at the top of the stands. His older friend Trunks balanced on the metal protection, arms crossed. Goten peered out into the stadium and a big grin broke across his face. "It's Big Brother!" Goten shouted. Trunks knitted his eyebrows together.

"Yeah, but why's he in Super Saiyan form? Everyone else looks a little distressed. Hey, why'd they leave, anyway?"

"I dunno, but he's back! Come on, let's go say hi!"

"Goten!" Trunks called and reached out for his friend who was jumping over the railing. He grabbed the raven-haired boy's sleeve and held him in the air. "Goten, you can't just run out there."

He pouted, "Why not? The tournament's over. Besides, I want to see my brother!"

Trunks looked out to the stadium once again, still holding on to Goten's sleeve. He watched as Gohan smiled wickedly. Chills ran up his spine. "You heard that weird voice from before, didn't you? Something about Mage meeting his match. I don't think it's over yet, Goten… Something's wrong with your brother."

The younger hybrid turned back to the stadium, a small frown on his face. "Gohan can beat anybody."

-

Majunior stood upright and tense. "Pan… get yourself and Videl out of here. Now." He kept his eyes locked on Gohan's wild teal orbs. Pan glared at her father.

"No. I'm staying. I came here for a reason, the same reason as you. I'm staying." Pan clutched Videl's arm as she began to start toward Gohan again. The human tried in vain to pull away. Gohan slid his eyes over to the two girls and narrowed them at his future daughter. _No, not her!_ the piercing voice of Babidi rang in his head, _The man! The man! He is your opponent._

"Gohan, don't do anything rash…" Majunior soothed. "Just… come here." He held one hand out to his counterpart and waved him closer. His other hand slowly slid into his belt and his fingers bumped the syringe capsule. "Come here, Gohan."

Gohan took a step forward, his eyes flickering back and forth between Majunior's face and his creeping hand. A small white capsule glinted from beneath the red fabric. Gohan's eyes widened and he stepped away. _Fight him! Kill him! He's done nothing but hurt you!_ He smirked. Majunior bit his lip. "Aw, shit."

Gohan whipped his hand up and fired a powerful energy blast toward his older counterpart. Pan immediately jumped in front of the blast in order to shield her father. She reached forward and countered Gohan's blast with her hands, effectively holding it in place. Majunior pulled the capsule out and popped it open. The cloud of smoke dissipated and he clutched the syringe tightly in his fist.

Pan struggled to hold the energy back. It burned against her palms and crackled like electricity. She braced her leg behind her and, finally, she was able to pop the blast from the bottom and throw it into the sky. Gohan straightened himself and smiled deviously at the two time travelers. Majunior smiled back, now more confident with his weapon in hand. At least as long as he has the syringe, he won't have to kill the kid.

Lifting his hand again, Gohan aimed another blow for Pan and her father. The energy gathered carefully, allowing the possessed teen to enjoy every moment. Pan braced herself for another wave, but faltered in her step when he whipped his arm to the side and fired at the stands. The crowd screamed. Some got up to run, but, believing it was all a light show, most sat and watched unknowingly as their end came in a fiery explosion.

Then, everyone in the stands screamed.

-

"Gohan, no!" Goten ripped away from Trunks's grip and raced down the stands and through the swarms of the terrified community. Trunks was immediately behind his younger friend.

'That's not Gohan. That can't be Gohan. He'd never hurt anyone, not intentionally. I knew something was different about him,' the purple haired hybrid thought. Across from them, the stands were up in smoke. Screams filled the air and people were running for the exits in order to escape the murderous hybrid.

"Hey, kid!" a man's voice called. Someone grabbed the two tiny troublemakers' sleeves. Trunks looked up and saw it was a blonde man, perhaps about Gohan's age. His brown eyes were wide with terror, just the other humans, but the rest of his face was calm. "Aren't you Gohan's little brothers?" he asked.

"Oh, thank Kami you found them!" Chichi's relieved voice came from a few paces away. Bulma, Android 18 and her baby, Roshi, Yamucha, Ox King, and the two transforming animals, Oolong and Puar, were right behind her. "Boys, are you safe? You weren't hit by the explosion, were you?" she immediately knelt down by the two little boys and checked out their faces and arms.

"No, Mama, we're fine. I just haf'ta see Gohan. Something's wrong with him. I gotta see him… let go!" Goten struggled weakly against the blonde human's grip on his sleeve. He didn't want to hurt the poor guy, but if it meant getting to his big brother… Goten swiped the man's hand away and barreled through the swarms of survivors.

"Goten!!" Trunks called. Out of shock, Sharpner had released Trunks, too, so he was free to follow after his little friend. The two finally reached the bottom of the stands, but they stopped dead in their tracks on top of the railing, eyes wide. Majunior, Gohan, Vegeta, Goku, Pan, Videl, and Shin… they were gone again. The two mini hybrids swiveled around, back to the nearly empty stands. Their mothers and friends were finally visible through the dissipating crowd. They grudgingly returned to their mothers' sides.

A soft _tap_ sounded behind the small group. Pan put Videl back on her feet. The Saiyan girl's expression was solemn and the human's worried. "Oh, Panny, Videl! You're safe." Chichi hugged the two girls as if they were her own children. "What happened to the others? What is wrong with my Gohan?" she inquired. Pan bit her lip and looked up at the distressed faces of her loved ones, only gained through her time travelling experience. She glanced over to Videl, but she was no help. The human girl didn't even meet her eyes.

Pan took a deep breath and began to explain, "My dad, Gohan, and the others were transferred to a more reserved area… Gohan isn't Gohan right now. He's turned into the Gold Fighter, but only with a little help. He's possessed by an evil wizard named Babidi." Goten tugged on her sleeve gently.

"P-possessed? Like… someone took over his brain? That's why he killed all those people?" Pan paused, then nodded once, slowly. She then looked up to the crowd of Z Fighters and scanned over their faces, only stumbling over one. Sharpner? She held her gaze for a moment, then looked away to Bulma.

"Can we please find the dragonballs? We have to wish all those innocent people back to life. Please, Bulma," Pan pleaded. Videl looked up, finally, eyes wide and confused. But, without asking, she nodded in agreement.

"Of course we can, Pan. We'll get them all back. Don't worry," Bulma replied with a small half-smile.

"…I really don't know exactly what's going on, but I'm pretty sure those two kids weren't supposed to leave," Sharpner mumbled, pointing to the empty spot where Goten and Trunks were a mere few seconds ago.

-

Majunior twirled the syringe in his hand slowly, keeping his eyes locked on his opponent. Supreme Kai stood not too far away with Goku and Vegeta. The Saiyan prince was becoming impatient. "Oh, just kill the brat already!" he shouted. Goku glared at him.

"None of my sons are dying today, Vegeta," he stated firmly. Vegeta returned the glare with one of his own.

"We'll see about tha-"

"Go away," Gohan ordered. The others looked at him in surprise. "This is between me and him. So all of you get out." Supreme Kai gulped and looked up at Majunior. The time traveler did not meet his questioning stare.

"…Alright. We need to get back to Babidi's ship and get rid of that ball before it releases Buu. Goku, Vegeta… Come on, follow me." Goku stared at him incredulously. Supreme Kai gave him a stern look and turned on his heel, walking away from the battlegrounds. Reluctantly, Goku and Vegeta followed.

Soon, the two hybrids were alone. Majunior twirled the lithium syringe carefully between his fingers and watched Gohan's teal eyes. "Why don't you power up?" Gohan asked with a sing-song voice. "If you want to beat me, you have to."

"I don't want to beat you, Gohan," his counterpart replied, "I only want to stop you. The last thing I want is your blood on my hands. This is not the right thing to do, Gohan. I know you probably can't see it right now, but I guarantee you'll regret everything afterwards. I bet on my life."

Gohan smiled wickedly. Energy crackled around him, playfully snapping at anything nearby, including Majunior's feet. The older hybrid didn't budge. "I don't know. I really like this feeling. All my life I've had to depend on others… but not anymore. With this power, I can do whatever I want, whenever I want."

Still twirling the syringe, Majunior replied, "No, you can't. For one, Babidi has you under his thumb. Do you think that M on your forehead is just for looks? It's a spell, Gohan. You don't have power. You don't have rights. You're his doll; his plaything. For two, you're not getting past me. Ever. I won't allow you to hurt anyone else."

The younger hybrid frowned deeply, "I'm not his puppet. I'm doing this on my own."

"Do you hear voices, Gohan?" Majunior asked softly. He continued twirling the needle. Gohan trained his eyes on it. "Answer me," the older hybrid ordered. Gohan lowered his eyelids slightly, fascinated by the sloshing liquid inside the barrel. With his sensitive ears he could hear the faint _splash_. Majunior stopped twirling the syringe. The liquid came to a lazy halt inside of the tube. Gohan blinked.

"…I don't want to hurt her," Gohan answered an unasked question with a soft voice. Majunior lifted an eyebrow. Gohan's teal eyes filled with salty tears, "I don't want her to hate me."

"Who, Videl?" Majunior tried to clarify. Gohan flinched and held his head, nodding. His older counterpart pulled his lips into a thin line and replied, "Then stop this. Let me help you…"

"No!" Gohan shouted, suddenly angry. More energy sparked in the form of electricity. Majunior stepped back to dodge one particularly dangerous whip. "I'm not accepting your help or anyone's! I'm not the little kid anymore! I'm not the brat, the Gold Fighter, Saiyaman, the crybaby, or any other stupid title! I'm not Dad, I'm not Goten, I'm not Piccolo, and I'm definitely not _you_! I'm _Gohan_! Gohan Son! Why does everyone look at me and say, 'That's Goku's son!' or, 'That's that insane kid that turned out like that nutjob from the future!' _No_! Shut up, shut up, shut up…" Gohan clutched at his golden locks furiously and squeezed his eyes shut. "God! I hate your voice!" He swiped his hand at Majunior, sending a powerful energy wave in the time traveler's direction.

Thinking quickly, Majunior dodged the wave and skidded behind the hybrid. 'How do I calm him down?' he thought, dodging bolts of hot, crackling electricity. Suddenly, it came to him. Deciding to take the chance as his only one, he leapt toward his younger counterpart. Energy scorched his skin as he entered Gohan's bubble of power. The syringe exploded, sending lithium everywhere into the air.

Majunior grabbed Gohan from behind and held him there tightly. His chest buzzed with the contrasting energies of himself and the younger hybrid, but Majunior endured it. Albeit with a little difficulty, Majunior placed his fingers against Gohan's neck, feeling the dangerously fast pulse there.

Then, he thought of Videl.

His vision went black and his memories were forced away against the older half-blood's will. In its place came more violent memories, ones of deadening pain and torment. Yet, somehow, it wasn't self inflicted. In the back of his mind, Majunior could hear Babidi laughing. In his arms, Gohan began to tremble and his vigor slowly dissipated. The images and feelings disappeared and Majunior's sight returned. Gohan bowed his head and gazed at his counterpart. With a broken voice, he mumbled, "What… happened?"

Majunior stared back, feeling Gohan's heart rate decelerate and return to normal. "I think… I can read your mind," he answered hoarsely. Gohan's eyes returned to the ground. He knitted his blonde eyebrows together.

"I… I saw her. Videl. I saw her. I felt her. I heard her. I felt so… happy." Majunior nodded in perceptively. Gohan looked back over. "You… you're still touching me."

The time traveler looked up, his eyes wide and a bead of sweat sliding down his temple. "Y-you still feel happy?" he asked. Gohan nodded slowly. Majunior nodded back, once. "Good." The older hybrid held his head.

_What's taking you? What's the matter? Kill him, Gohan! Do as I command!_ Babidi's shrill voice rung in Majunior's ears alone, but it seemed to have no effect on his sense of judgment. 'I'm not under Babidi's spell,' he thought. Babidi continued to rant and call Gohan several nasty names. Majunior frowned deeply. Keeping his fingertips on Gohan's neck, Majunior grabbed the teen's bare wrist. "Don't speak of this until I tell you to," he whispered in Gohan's ear. The teen shot him a confused look. "You're under Babidi's spell. As long as you have skin-to-skin contact with me, Babidi can't hurt you."

Nodding, Gohan confirmed that he understood. "S-so, I'm not crazy?" he stuttered. Majunior pulled his lips into a thin line.

"I don't know about that."

A dark pressure fell onto Gohan's heart. His head snapped up, eyes wide in fear. He and Majunior met gazes. Gohan opened and shut his mouth for a moment, then finally, he squeaked, "B-Babidi…?"

Majunior sucked in a deep breath and held the back of his head where Babidi was laughing maniacally. "No, worse. It's Buu." He gripped Gohan's wrist tighter and pulled him over to the hole in the ground that led to the bottom floor of the ship. "Come on. We have to help the others."

Before Majunior could pull the teenager down to the next floor, Gohan came to a halt. "Mage…" Gohan looked into his counterpart's chocolate brown eyes. "How many did I kill?"

Sucking in another deep breath, then letting it go, Majunior replied, "A lot."

-

TBC…

Aw, geez, Mirai Gohan. Always the martyr. And yeah! You guys thought Goten and Trunks fell off the face of the earth, didn't you? Ufufufu. No way. Those two little brats have a good bit of roleplay very soon.

-big sigh- but, these chapters are getting harder and harder to write. I don't know why. What came to me so quickly and fluently before is also leaving in the same fashion. But, don't worry, we've come this far, we're not stopping now. No way.

Reviews = Next Chapter

/~drtrunksbriefs


	18. I'll Keep You By My Side

Finesse

-

The battleground was torn and scarred with previous explosions and collisions. Dust swirled throughout the air, stirred from its resting place due to the battle above. Then again, it wasn't exactly a battle. "Yay!" cried Babidi, throwing his yellow-green hands in the air. "Good job, Buu! Those spiky haired freaks don't stand a chance against you!" Dabura stood a few feet behind him, watching with utmost awe. Goku had put up a good fight, but not good enough for the happy pink monster. At least he was still conscious as he laid in the dirt, bleeding. Supreme Kai was obviously not a fighter, however. His sorcery was his only hope, but Buu had knocked him out with one hit. Vegeta was the one fighting now, giving Buu everything he had, but Buu was still overpowering him.

"How can that fat, pink blob be so powerful?" the king mused. "He wasn't even at full power when those two Saiyans released him. How…?"

"Simple, Dabura. My father was a genius!" Babidi squealed with horrifying delight.

"Too bad mine isn't," Majunior mumbled as he and Gohan climbed out of the spaceship. Babidi smirked and turned away from the one-sided battle between Vegeta and Majin Buu. Babidi's smirk turned into a pleased grin when his eyes landed on the younger half-Saiyan.

"Well, well," he said, "There he is! My second-favorite puppet." Babidi thrust out his hand, releasing mystical energy toward the two former competitors. Gohan's mind remained calm, but Majunior flinched and held his head with one hand, the other tightly grasping Gohan's bare wrist. A deep frown twisted Babidi's face. "What's this?" he mused and gazed at their hands. he looked back up at Majunior's scarred face. "You can take your counterpart's pain away? How intriguing."

At that moment in time, Vegeta decided to collide with the hard, red earth beside the four fighters. He lay in his crater and twitched, groaning in pain. "Th-that… bastard… I'll kill him! I'll kill him!" The Prince stood shakily on his feet and stumbled back toward the cheerful pink monster. Buu laughed with utter happiness and began bouncing from one foot too another.

"Buu kill Veggie-head! Buu kill Veggie-head!" Buu sang. A deep growl ripped from the prince's chest. He launched himself toward his childish foe, but he was cut short when Buu lifted his fat, pink antenna and zapped Vegeta. After the light dimmed back down, the proud Saiyan prince was nothing but a man-sized bar of chocolate.

"Vegeta!!" Goku screamed, struggling to keep his consciousness as he bled into the dirt. "Nooo!" Gohan's heart froze at the agonizing sound of his father's anguish. Buu scooped the Vegeta chocolate up and slid it into his mouth whole, then chewed it and swallowed it all down. With a soft burp, Buu grinned and patted his tummy.

"Mmm! Dark chocolate!" he giggled, "Bitter but yummy! Yummy, yummy, in my tummy! Yummy, yummy!..." Buu continued singing his little song. Goku clutched a lock of his hair and glanced over to the ship where Dabura and Babidi were watching. His eyes widened.

"Gohan! You guys… get out of here! Now!" Goku ordered. Majunior and Gohan shook their heads simultaneously. Goku glared angrily at them. "I don't care how old you two get or how old you happen to be. I'm still your father, and I told you to get out now! Do as you're told!" He was shouting now. His voice was straining.

"We're not leaving that easily, Goku," Majunior stated firmly. "We're here to fight."

"How are you going to fight holding hands like that?" Babidi grinned, "After all, if you let him go, dear Future Gohan, I'll only take him over again. With a snap of my fingers," he snapped, "just like that." Majunior chewed on the inside of his lip. "So how do you propose you'll fight my Buu with only one hand?"

Majunior pointed his finger lazily. "Like this," he said and blasted a thin, purple stream of energy through Babidi's chest. The green sorcerer's eyes widened with shock. He fell and landed on his back with a sickening _thump_. Majunior bit his lip and looked up to his counterpart, who was staring off into space. Slowly, the M carved into his skin healed over and he dropped out of his Super Saiyan state. He blinked once, hard, and then opened his eyes again.

"Wh… what happened?" The words were not from Gohan's mouth. Dabura rubbed his eyes and blinked. He looked around until his eyes landed on the two half-breeds standing over Babidi's still body. "You… did you lift the spell?" Majunior smirked and nodded. Dabura sucked in a deep breath. Suddenly, he tackled the time traveler to the ground and laughed merrily. "Oh, thank you! Thank you, my dear boy! Oh, dear Future Gohan!"

"Gah… p-please, call me Majunior. It… lowers the confusion a bit," he replied, glancing up to his stunned younger counterpart. Dabura grinned happily, his fangs glinting in the sunlight.

"Yes! Anything for you, dear Majunior! If there's anything we can do for you… anything at all, just tell me."

Gohan's eyes widened slightly and he glanced over to the rock cliff where their friends' statues still stood. Majunior nodded. "Please… turn our friends back to normal, Dabura," he asked. Dabura's face turned to that of apology.

"I'm afraid that will cause my death, dear Majunior…" he replied. Majunior tilted his head down, his heart dropping as well. Dabura sucked in another breath and gained a confident look. "However, I will be glad to help you and your friends defeat Buu. He's a nuisance, you see…" Dabura glared over his shoulder to the pink blob that was still singing his Chocolate Vegeta song. Dabura smiled, "I will battle with Buu, but surely die. Then, your friends will return to normal. If that is what my dear Majunior still wishes, of course." Dabura stood and sucked in another deep breath. "Then let it be so! I will battle Buu and die with honor, in the name of my dear Majunior! My dear Future Gohan!"

Dabura lifted into the air and blasted off toward Buu, effectively catching the monster off guard. Buu crashed roughly into Earth. Majunior stood up and blinked. "Well, that wasn't… exactly what I thought would happen here." He looked over to Gohan, who was watching his father wobble to his feet. "…Don't worry, Gohan. He forgives you, no matter what happens," Majunior answered Gohan's unasked question.

Looking up at the time traveler in shock, Gohan asked, "How'd you know…" he looked down to his wrist, but it wasn't in Majunior's grasp. The older hybrid chuckled.

"I had this same problem, once…"

The two looked back out to the battlefield. Gohan chewed on his lip habitually. "…We'll have to fight," he mumbled softly. "Dabura's not nearly strong enough."

"The sad part is, Dabura is as strong as Cell was," Majunior replied. Gohan looked back over to his father, who met his eyes. Deep guilt pierced the young Saiyan's heart.

-

"Shh! Trunks!" Goten squeaked under his breath. Trunks waved a nonchalant hand and looked up at the life-sized Piccolo statue.

"This is so creepy," the mini-prince stated. "Someone made an exact replica of Piccolo out of stone." He smirked, "Cool, huh?"

Goten frowned deeply. "I'm more worried about Big Brother than the creepy Piccolo statue." Trunks rolled his eyes and looked over the Krillen statue.

"Come on. It's _Gohan_, Goten. He's fine."

"No! He was… different at the Tourney," Goten said softly. "I know you know it, too."

It was true that Trunks knew it, too. He just preferred not to acknowledge it. After all, a problem that doesn't exist isn't acknowledged, right? Right. Trunks kneeled down beside his raven-haired friend and looked out to the battlefield. He knew that, even though he didn't show it, he was probably even more concerned for Gohan than Goten was. To him, he was able to see Gohan outside the bubble of "Big Brother." As much as he loved and respected the teen, Trunks knew he was just that. A teen. He knew Gohan was, in no way, perfect, as Goten saw him.

In Goten's mind, Gohan was the perfect being. His shoulder to cry on. His partner to challenge him. His teacher to read to him. His trainer to teach him. His dad. To Goten, Gohan did no wrong, ever. After all, if a person stays on your ass all the time about what is right and wrong, they obviously know everything there is to know about rights and wrongs. To Goten, Gohan never messed up. Gohan never lied. Gohan was never wrong.

Trunks sighed and came out of his musings to Goten's gasp. "Get him, Big Brother!" he squealed. Trunks blinked in confusion.

"Where'd that red guy go?" he asked. Goten cocked an eyebrow.

"He died! Didn't ya see?" Trunks knitted his eyebrows together and nodded slightly. "Uh… right. Yeah. I saw."

A shadow cast over the two children. They froze in their cheering and turned slowly. Piccolo glared down at them. "You two!" he shouted. He grabbed the boys as they tried to run away. "Oh, no you don't," he held the kids up by the scruff of their necks. Krillen laughed softly.

"You're gettin' too old to babysit, Piccolo," the former monk teased. Piccolo's sharp glare shut him up quickly, however. Krillen looked over to the battlefield and watched as Majunior attacked the pink blob. "I take it that's Buu. Man, how long have we been out?"

"I don't know, but I think it's about time to stop lazing around and do something," Piccolo replied.

"Gohan and Mage are out there, Mister Piccolo!" Goten cried. "We haf'ta help them!"

"Goten, your dad's out there, too," Trunks added, struggling against Piccolo's strong grip. "He's in the worst condition."

Piccolo nodded and looked down at Krillen. "Hey. Still have those two Senzu beans?" he asked. Krillen nodded and held up the small brown sack. "Good," he replied. "Let's go get Goku."

-

Goku flinched as his left leg throbbed. In an attempt to ease the sharp pain, he leaned more onto his right leg. He flinched again. Didn't help. That leg's busted, too. Deciding to take it like a man, he sucked it up and looked back out to the battlefield where his two sons were battling the strangest foe he'd ever faced. 'How did this happen?' Goku thought to himself. 'Why Gohan? Why'd my little boy have to get into this?' Despite his love for fighting, Goku didn't want his son to be so involved in the blood and gore this job had to offer. Often, the chances of Earth surviving was slim, and if they did survive, the effects were lasting. He watched Majunior.

Or, Gohan, he should say. Gohan, his little boy from the future, who, currently, was older than his own father in this timeline. Gohan's life was never easy, and when Majunior and Trunks came to their timeline all those years ago to warn them all about the androids, it looked like it never would be. 'I'm sorry, Son, I brought you into this world at the wrong time…'

"Or the right time," a voice choked out from behind him. Goku whirled around to see the Supreme Kai sliding himself across the beaten battlegrounds, a trail of crimson blood following him. Goku knelt down next to the purple god, but regretted the action immediately. Instead, he sat down. Still hurts, but less. Supreme Kai smiled gratefully as Goku helped him sit up. Together, they looked up at the battling trio. "I know about that man, Goku," Supreme Kai began, "His story is quite upsetting. However, I can tell he is really your son. Diligent and softhearted, just like his father."

The full-blooded Saiyan nodded slightly and chewed on his lip. Supreme Kai cocked an eyebrow. "So _that's_ where it comes from." Goku's eyes widened in confusion. Supreme Kai motioned to his own mouth, "Those two boys get that nervous habit from you." Goku smiled and nodded again.

"Goku!" Krillen called. Goku's head snapped up and a bright grin erupted on his face.

"Oh, Krillen!" Krillen grinned back and reached into the small brown sack.

"Here, man, for your health. You really deserve it, just lookin' at ya." Goku took the Senzu and broke it in half. Krillen cocked a black eyebrow as Goku handed one half to Supreme Kai, who looked at it confusedly.

"So we don't use so much," Goku explained. "Eat it, Kai." Piccolo coughed. Goku smiled and rolled his eyes. "Sorry. _Please_ eat it, _Supreme_ Kai."

Supreme Kai chuckled and popped the bean into his mouth. As soon as he swallowed it, his energy returned all at once. "It's quite alright, Goku. I've gotten used to it from Majunior."

Goten hopped from one foot to the other impatiently. "Why are we standing here?! Let's go help them! Please!" the little boy pleaded, not peeling his eyes from his older brother. Trunks frowned and put a hand on Goten's shoulder.

"Calm down, 'Ten," Trunks soothed. Goten stopped his hopping. "By the way, where's my dad?" Trunks asked. Goku choked on air. Trunks raised one eyebrow, but dismissed it. Well, it wasn't like it was the first time his father had disappeared off the face of the Earth.

Up in the sky, Majunior watched his counterpart's moves carefully. He copied the boy's movements with utmost skill, recalling the practice from the Room of Spirit and Time way back when they'd fought Cell. As Gohan pummeled Buu from the back, Majunior pummeled from the front, but their blows were merely being absorbed by the monster's mass amount of blubbery fat. Buu giggled. "Tickles!" Buu squealed happily. Gohan growled and gathered energy quickly in his palm. A thick, white blast erupted from his hand and singed the back of Buu's head. The giant pink monster stopped dead in his tracks. "…What you do that for?" his voice was low and chilling. Majunior froze as well, looking up at the creature's dead face. "That hurt Buu. You play rough. Buu no like you." Buu turned in the air; it was graceful for such a clumsy-looking being.

Buu's shoulders trembled, catching Gohan slightly off guard. Was he going to cry? No, way. Buu, according to the Supreme Kai, was some divine, super-powerful, super-destructive monster. Monsters don't cry. Monsters scream and get angry.

Buu screamed and got angry.

He pulled his antennae back and aimed it at the teenage hybrid. "Buu zap you, meanie! You _die_!" he shrieked. The energy bubbled and the blast came. It hit. A scream was heard, but it wasn't Gohan's. The light dimmed and Majunior trembled, floating in front of his younger counterpart.

"M-Mage," Gohan stuttered. "No, Mage." The time traveler slowly lowered his bloody, torn arms and looked down at himself. His clothes were ripped and singed from the blast, ripping and scorching his skin. Blood dripped from the open wounds. Visible muscle on his chest, stomach, arms, and legs twitched. The skin around them was burned black, dead and crispy.

"O-ow…" he mumbled. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he plummeted for Earth. Before he hit the ground, however, Gohan just barely caught him and hugged him closely.

"N-no, Mage… don't go. Don't leave. I need you," Gohan whimpered, but Majunior didn't respond. Gohan looked back up to the sky where Buu was dancing around merrily, singing his "Fried Man!" song. Gohan's shoulders trembled and he stared back down at his older counterpart. "Not again, you bastard," he murmured.

The sound of feet scampering up behind him called his attention. Two small boys threw themselves at him, but he didn't take his arms from the burned time traveler. "Gohan!" Trunks and Goten shouted simultaneously. Gohan pushed his forehead against the two boys' in a weak, armless hug.

"Why are you here?" Gohan asked, his voice monotone.

"We're here, too," Piccolo responded. Gohan looked up at his former teacher's face sadly. Goku came up behind the green man, and behind him was Krillen and Supreme Kai.

"You all need to leave this place," Gohan mumbled in the same stern, monotone voice. Goten clung to his brother's neck tighter and buried his face in the teen's hair.

"I'm not leaving," Goten replied in the same tone. Gohan bit his lip and looked down at the body in his arms.

"You wanna end up like this?" Gohan challenged. Goten didn't dare look at the former person that he once knew. The answer was obvious. Trunks looked away from Majunior's deep wounds, feeling fear strike his heart. He buried his face in Gohan's pale, bruised neck.

The two boys tightened their arms around their big brother. "Please don't kill anymore, Big Brother…" "I love you, Big Brother…" "Please don't leave us, Big Brother…" were some of the things the kids mumbled into Gohan's hair and neck. Piccolo bent down and gently took the body from his student's arms.

"Guys," Gohan called and sat up. Sensing their line of vision was clear from any more future nightmares, Goten and Trunks curled up in Gohan's lap. "I love you guys," the teen whispered soothingly. He wrapped an arm around each of them and kissed their foreheads. "My favorite little monsters ever. Tell Mom and Videl that I love them, alright? Bulma, too. Thank them for me."

Goten's eyes widened. "Are you going somewhere, Big Brother?" he asked. Gohan looked into his brother's matching brown eyes and gave him a weak smile. Small tears threatened to escape.

"How can you smile with all those tears in your eyes?" Trunks asked quietly. Gohan glanced at him in surprise. He merely smiled wider, the tears finally escaping, though scarce and few.

"I… may not be here when you wake up," Gohan replied. The kids blinked in confusion and looked at each other, but they plunged deep into unconsciousness when the older hybrid hit them swiftly on the back of their necks. He caught their limp bodies and hugged them close, then handed them both to his father. "Here," he said quietly, quickly. Goku took the small boys and looked into his firstborn's eyes.

"Oh, Gohan," he whispered. Gohan turned away and looked up at Majin Buu.

"Leave," the teen replied. "I need to do something."

Hesitantly, Goku nodded. He understood. He lifted into the air and motioned for the others to follow. The other Z Fighters obeyed and trailed behind the Saiyan. Gohan bit his lip and took in a deep, slow breath. As soon as his friends and family was far enough away, he lifted into the air until he was level with Buu. The pink monster grinned and stopped his happy dance. "Well, Buu, I think we'll both find out what it's like to die today," Gohan began. Buu cocked his head to the side. "You're not killing anymore of my friends." He smirked, "See you in Hell."

-

TBC…

DUN DUN DUNNNN. Gohan! No! Don't die! And what about Majunior? Will he be okay? Those wounds WERE pretty disgusting. Man, I wish I could draw that. It'd be great.

Anyway, story progresses even more in the next chapter. I'm trying desperately to make the chapters longer. I know you can't tell, but… bah.

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	19. With My Superhuman Might

Finesse

-

Videl drew her knees up to her chest and stared down at the small bag of dragonballs. These things- these little orange spheres- held the power to grant life to an entire world? Behind her, Sharpner stared out the window of the jetplane they flew in. As long as she's known the guy, ever since he fought with Gohan, he wasn't nearly as bad. He seemed almost… human. You know, with a brain. But… Majunior _did_ say he was a smart kid. To her left, Pan looked out of the opposite window, a horrified look on her face. What the girl was thinking of, Videl had no idea.

Memories of Gohan's explanation from earlier that day came back to her. _Pan is my daughter… from the future_. Previous questions popped up in her head- 'Who is Pan's mother? What is she like? Is she Gohan's ideal girl? Did he love her? Was Pan a planned pregnancy? Did they marry? Did they fight a lot? Who _was_ she? Panny is definitely Gohan's daughter, but… who is her mom?' The mentioned girl fidgeted, brown eyes widening even more.

"Pan?" she whispered, her voice breaking the thick silence awkwardly. Everyone in the plane jumped slightly. Pan glanced over, her brown eyes wide and fearful, like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Y-yes, Videl?" she asked.

"Are you alright?"

"I just… got a very sick feeling in my stomach."

As soon as the words escaped her lips, rough turbulence hit the small jetplane. The dragonballs bounced out of their bag and rolled under the seats. In the pilot's seat, Yamucha pressed buttons and pulled at the steering wheel desperately. "Aw, shit, that was some brutal turbulence. We're going down, guys!"

Sharpner clung to his seat, "That wasn't just turbulence! That was the after-effect of an explosion! Like a nuclear bomb or something!"

"Dammit, Yamucha, you woke the baby!" 18 scolded and bounced Marron gently in her arms.

"We're going to _die_, 18!" the former baseball star retorted, still trying to gain control. Pan sighed and slid out of the window. Sharpner grabbed at her, but she escaped his grip by inches.

"N-no! Pan!" he shouted. To his surprise, the jetplane came to a soft bump, then landed gently on the ground. He blinked several times. Pan popped up at his window, making him jump back into his seat.

"Way to go, Panny! Yeah, that's my lil' grandbaby!" Chichi cheered. Pan blushed and rubbed the back of her neck. Sharpner cocked an eyebrow.

"I thought you were Gohan's mom?"

"I am, sweetheart," Chichi responded gladly. Sharpner shook his head and followed the others out of the plane. He looked up to Pan and gave her a concerned look.

"Are you alright…?" he asked hesitantly. She smiled uncertainly and nodded.

"Yes, I'm fine. I do those kinds of things all the time."

Bulma crossed her arms and looked down at her radar. "Guys, gather up the balls and put them out here. Since our plane is busted, we won't be going anywhere for a while, so we may as well call out the dragon here." She glared lightly at Yamucha, who smiled nervously.

"Hey, it was rough turbulence, not me. Don't be mad, Bulma!"

Pan pulled the half-empty bag of dragonballs out of the smoking plane and picked up the ones that had fallen onto the plane's floor. The four-star ball was the last to be picked up. The tiny red stars embedded into the glass-like orange sphere glittered brilliantly in the midday sun. a small smile tugged at Pan's lips and she turned to Sharpner and Videl, who watched their classmate with worry.

"When we were kids, Gohan and I had to go to my timeline and get this ball from my father's closet because the one that this timeline had was broken." Sharpner knitted his blonde eyebrows together and nodded numbly.

"Oh. I see."

The blue-haired genius smiled and motioned to the ground where the balls were to lay. Pan set them carefully in a circle. As soon as all seven touched, they blazed bright yellow. Bulma threw up her hands. "I hereby summon you to grant my wishes! Come out, Shenron!" she yelled to the glowing spheres. Even more light exploded from them and twisted and turned in the suddenly blackened sky. Thunder rolled around the traveling energy, booming at every twist and turn. Soon enough, a spiraling green dragon materialized through the light. His deep growl matched that of the thunder.

"You have awakened me," the dragon said in his deep, omnipotent voice. "State your two wishes so I may return to my slumber."

Sharpner and Videl stumbled back at the sight of the otherworldly dragon. "Not your average Genie in a Bottle, is he?" the blonde boy stuttered. Videl's mouth hung open in shock, but agreed silently.

-

Cradling Majunior's limp and battered body in his arms, Piccolo followed Goku and the others deeper into the sky. Dende's Lookout soon came into view, thanks to their ultra-high speeds. Piccolo felt his heart twist painfully. Gohan's energy disappeared. On the flipside, Majin Buu's did, too. However, there was no good thing to his former student's and best friend's death. None that Piccolo could see. He landed on the Lookout's tiled surface and laid the time traveler gently on the cool floor. Dende ran up to them and immediately began examining the man's body.

"Can you help him, Dende?" Piccolo asked dully. Dende nodded once.

"I… I think so. Yeah. He'll be okay. Just some bad burns. Muscle damage. Nothing my magic can't heal." The smaller green man placed his hands over Majunior's burns and pushed his energy inside. Majunior's skin began to quickly regrow over the exposed muscle. Nerve endings reattached themselves. Skin cells grew. The burns disappeared, but not without leaving more burn scars. "I'm afraid he'll never get rid of these things," Dende said, motioning toward the blemishes on Majunior's skin. "It's all I can do to keep him from dying. I can't help the scars."

"Something tells me he's used to it," Krillen smiled nervously. Supreme Kai kneeled down by Majunior's head and prodded his shoulder.

"Gohan. Gohan, wake up," he called. Goku handed the two smaller boys to Mr. Popo. The noir man smiled happily and carried them into the palace. The full-blood returned to the small group of Z Fighters. "Hey, Gohan. Naptime's over," Supreme Kai continued. Majunior took in a soft breath and opened his eyes halfway, then closed them again. Supreme Kai smirked teasingly. "You're not dead, Gohan. Get up."

Pulling himself up, the time traveler blinked and looked around. "The Lookout?" he asked, his voice cracking. Goku nodded.

"You took one helluva punch there, kid," Goku gave him a soft smile. "But, you're okay now. Majunior's eyes widened.

"Gohan! Where's Gohan?!" he panicked. He jumped up to his feet and ran up to the ledge of the Lookout, only to be caught in Piccolo's stern grip. "I can't feel his energy. He's not… he can't be… no… Buu, he's not dead… Buu's not dead…" Majunior struggled against his mentor's iron grasp, but Piccolo showed no sign of letting go.

"You're not going, Gohan. Stay up here. Buu is gone. He's finished. He -" The evil energy that was so carefully exterminated not too long ago returned little by little. Piccolo's heart froze over. He and the time traveler met eyes. They both knew Buu was, in fact, alive. Piccolo gave his student a once-over and grimaced. "You're practically naked, kid," he mumbled and zapped him a uniform nearly identical to his, but without the cape and booties.

Majunior sighed and regained his footing. He gazed out to the darkening sky. "Is it that late already?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Krillen knitted his eyebrows together, "If I'm not mistaken, it looks like someone's calling the dragon."

"Bulma!" Goku exclaimed, "Who else could call the dragon so fast?! We need to save those wishes until _after_ Buu is dead!" Energies sprouted from nowhere near Tournament Island, revitalized, straight from death. The full-blood placed to fingers to his forehead and disappeared. Majunior sat down at the edge of the Lookout and pulled his knees up to his chest.

"I didn't want Gohan to die," he whispered. Piccolo watched him for a moment, then placed a reassuring hand on the boy's head.

"He's his father's son."

-

Shenron floated gracefully above Earth's surface. His eyes dimmed to a dark red and the many lives that were lost at the World Martial Arts Tournament today were brought back to life, as requested by the tiny blue-haired woman on the ground. "Your wish has been granted," he rumbled. The humans hopped up and down and hugged each other happily. He sighed with frustration. "What is your second wish?" he hurried. The humans stopped their lovefest and looked at each other.

"Hey, I didn't think of a second wish, you guys," Bulma put a finger to her chin and thought hard.

"Waah! You guys are already on the second wish?!" Goku exclaimed and put a hand to his forehead. The humans grinned happily and nearly tackled the man to the ground. "Hey, come on! Listen… We need to save that wish for another time. There's a big bad guy coming to kill us all and we need the balls for after we kill him and-"

"Ah-hem…" Shenron cleared his throat. Goku grinned and put a hand behind his head.

"Oh, sorry, Shenron…" he apologized. "We don't need anymore wishes today! Thank you!" Shenron nodded once and disappeared back into the crystallized spheres. They rose into the sky and separated, flying off into each corner of the world.

Bulma glared daggers at her old friend. "Goku!" she accused. He shook his hands.

"Wait, listen!" he put his hands down and sighed. "Well, just come with me, you guys, and I'll explain everything when we get to Dende's Lookout. Come on, hold hands…" The human Z Fighters looked at one another before linking hands with someone. Chichi laced her fingers with Goku's, Ox-King's with Chichi's, Bulma's with Ox-Kings, and so forth. Sharpner and Videl were at the end, where Pan held her hand out for one of them to take. "Guys?" she asked, "Do you want to stay here?" The two teens shook their heads and grabbed onto Pan at the same time. The Saiyan girl smiled and together, they all disappeared.

-

…Only to reappear on top of the Lookout. Everyone but Goku stumbled forward and landed roughly on their faces. The full-blood laughed nervously and put a hand behind his head, awkwardly explaining that you have to be used to instantaneous transmission in order to travel by it comfortably. Upon the explanation, he made sure to apologize with every other word in order to keep his wife and best friend at bay. Yet, that just didn't seem to help the matter.

Sharpner hopped up and helped his two classmates to their feet, even though neither girl needed the help. Even alone, they could pummel Sharpner until he was crying and begging to give in. But, they had to admit, the thought was nice. After helping them up, he gawked at his surroundings.

They were in a palace-like place. It was completely quiet here- no birds, no wind, no nothing. Sharpner was sure he could hear a pin drop inside of the godlike building behind him. He was sure he could hear every breath everyone took. He watched Pan, listened to her suck in a gentle breath, then blow it out. Out of those soft, plump, pink lips…

He blinked and shook his head. 'What?' he thought, 'What the hell am I thinking? I'm in love with Videl… With Videl. Right. But, she's Gohan's…' somehow, this didn't bother him as much anymore. 'Why?' he wondered. He looked back over to Pan, but the girl was gone. She clung to her father- his teacher- who was sitting idly on the edge of this palace-like place. 'I don't have a thing for Pan, do I?'

"Daddy!" Pan hugged her father tightly around his neck. He hugged her back, burying his face in her hair.

"Panny…" he addressed her lovingly. She clung to him tighter. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"I'm so glad you're okay, Daddy… I thought for sure something bad had happened to you… Please don't ever go off like that again. Please." He struggled for a reply, but ended up just shutting mouth. Pan sighed contently and laid her head on his shoulder. "Daddy… where's Gohan?" she asked quietly. He didn't reply. She felt her skin chill suddenly.

"Hey, that's a good idea. Goku, where _is_ Gohan? And Goten?" Chichi asked, placing her hands over her heart. Goku bit his lip and looked away, unable to respond.

"That's what I needed to talk to you about," Goku replied softly, hesitantly. Bulma frowned deeply.

"And Trunks and Vegeta?"

"Goten and Trunks are fine. They're inside, asleep, but…" he paused. Pan curled against her father, who held her tightly, bracing her for the confirmation. Goku sighed softly, "But Gohan and Vegeta are dead."

The atmosphere became overwrought. The silence was so loud, Sharpner couldn't hear anything else. The tension made his throat tighten, but… was that really from the atmosphere?

Videl trembled slightly, blue eyes wide with horror. Gohan? Her Gohan? He was… dead? She looked over to Majunior, who refused to meet her gaze. He drowned himself in Pan's aching sobs, letting her tears spill over his shoulder.

Gohan was really dead?

-

TBC…

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	20. Kryptonite

Finesse

-

The world turned slowly underneath the elevated, godly abode. Lives slowly lost, one by one, below those gray clouds. The Gohan from the future let his legs dangle over the ledge. Clouds passed through the crisp, cool air. The sun above beat down on the blinding white tile. Why did he do it, his younger self? Why did he go and sacrifice himself, his future, for the slim chance that Buu might just die? Did he not look at Videl and see his opportunity? Did he not look at Pan and feel the need to survive? Just to see that tiny face when his child finally entered the world… Gohan's world. He had so much to live for; so much to look forward to. Was it just not worth it?

"Hey, Teach!" came a voice from behind. Majunior did not need to turn to see who it was. The blonde boy's footsteps came closer to the ledge. Sharpner, what a guy. Any normal human would be terrified of being this close to the possibility of plummeting to his death. Just one gentle breeze or one slip of your footing… and you could be falling forever into those endless gray clouds. That is, until you splatter across the earth below. "This seat taken?" Sharpner asked, but didn't wait to hear the answer before plopping down beside his Algebra professor. Sharpner dangled his legs over the edge as well; enjoying the floaty feeling that being so close to nothing but atmosphere gave him.

"It is now," Majunior took in a deep breath and pulled his legs up to his chest and folded his arms around them. Sharpner gave a comforting smile and looked up to the clear blue sky.

"You know, I'd live up here if I could. The sky is so blue up here, it feels like it can suck you right in, doesn't it?" he mused. Majunior frowned and buried his face in his arms.

"Yeah," he agreed softly. Sharpner reclined back on his hands and inspected his teacher carefully for the first time.

In school, Mister Son always looked at least a little professional. Normally a button-up shirt with his black jacket and a pair of khaki pants was the man's normal attire. He was good about wearing long sleeves, and now Sharpner could see why. Scars and burns riddled the man's skin, blemishing it and making it look torn and tattered and used. Since Majunior was wearing a purple fighting uniform, Sharpner could trail the scars all the way up to his shoulders, until they disappeared behind his shirt.

Sharpner also hadn't noticed how much his teacher really did look like Gohan. He had the same unruly black hair that looked silky in the midday light, yet was powerful enough to defy gravity without some kind of hair product. Despite the disfigurement of his skin, Majunior looked like an older Gohan. Where did the blemishes come from, anyway? Judging by Majunior's muscle size and family, they were obviously battle wounds. Sharpner cocked his head to the side and came out of his little reverie. "Hey, you're pretty banged up, huh?" he inquired.

Majunior didn't lift his head from his arms, "They're old."

The blonde boy cocked an eyebrow. "You look like a zebra," he stated very matter-of-factly. Majunior was silent at first, his head still buried, but his shoulders began to tremble and soft whimpers escaped his muffled mouth. Sharpner's brown eyes widened. Did he make him cry? But his question was answered when Majunior lifted his head and began laughing loudly. Sharpner smiled.

-

Videl paced the lookout, eyebrows knitted in denial. Gohan wasn't dead. Gohan couldn't be dead. He had to be unconscious somewhere, laying on the cold, hard ground, bleeding into the earth… and why was everyone so calm?! Frustrated, Videl fisted her hands into her short black hair and let out a strangled scream. Pan bit her lip. She'd been watching the other teenage girl since the news was released. Of course, she wanted to do just the same. Hell, she wanted to run around and scream and blow things up. But, her father's genes told her to stay cool and calm and collected and to stay in her spot.

But watching this was so _painful_. "Videl," her father's voice came, "come here." Both girls looked up and saw Majunior and Sharpner were standing before the stairs leading into the palace, where Pan and Videl were sitting. Or, rather, where Pan was sitting and watching Videl scale the narrow pathway over and over again. Obeying her boyfriend's future persona, she approached him and stood her ground. He did not offer a comforting smile, since he knew the comfort wouldn't help her misery. "I want to show you something," he stated. Pan raised an eyebrow. "Follow me," he waved the three teens over and walked into the palace.

Mr. Popo soon joined them, his stubby legs carrying him at surprisingly the same pace that they were going. "Right this way," he directed, pointing down seemingly random corridors. Five hallways later, the teenagers began to get nervous. Where were they going? How much longer would this take? Was this place really that big? But nonetheless, they faithfully followed their teacher. Eventually, they came to a large doorway. "Here we are!" Mr. Popo smiled gaily, "The Pendulum Room!" He motioned them to enter. As they did, the door creaked and shut with a loud _bam!_ The noise made the three teens jump.

The Pendulum Room was pitch black. One couldn't see their hand, even if it was in front of their face. In front of them was a large, red, glowing symbol on the floor. It pulsed as a heart would and buzzed lowly, quietly. _This is the Pendulum Room, _Mr. Popo's voice echoed, _Please step on the glowing symbol and this room will take you to any when you want to go. But beware; you will not be visible to the creatures of that time unless you make physical contact with them. I beg of you, please refrain from interacting with anyone. If you do, you will alter the future._

"In other words, keep your hands in the vehicle at all times and do _not_ do anything stupid," Majunior glared at the three kids through the darkness. Pan laced her fingers with her father's hand and what appeared to be Sharpner's hand. Videl linked her hand with her boyfriend's future persona. Together, the four of them stepped onto the shimmering marking. Above their heads, the air vibrated rhythmically, as if something above them was moving like a metronome. The room spun, darkness intertwined with eerie red, and the buzzing became louder.

"Where are we going?!" Videl shouted over the noise. Majunior gripped her hand.

"The Cell Games." Her eyes widened and she looked over to Sharpner, who was holding on to Pan. The Saiyan girl didn't seem to mind- or notice- his hold on her. She was busy gazing at the swirl of colors beginning to form around them. Finally, the room stopped its spinning, and they were standing on top of a cliff side. Dust blew toward them, but the wind didn't sway them and the grains of sand didn't strike them. The dust passed through, as if they were ghosts. Down below, as promised, stood Cell in all his unknowing glory.

Videl tensed, her hand tightening on Majunior's. He didn't flinch. He just stared out to the small group of people forming nearby. Among the group was none other than the Z Fighters, all seven years younger. Videl could pick out some of their friends, including Piccolo, a bald Krillen, and a younger Future Gohan. Beside her teacher stood a taller, purple-haired person she'd never seen before. His hair was long and purple and his eyes were blue. But this blue wasn't just blue. It was wild, lively, on fire. The man darted his gaze back and forth between Majunior's past self and a younger Hercule, who was standing nearby. "That's Trunks," Pan cleared her unasked question. Sharpner frowned.

"He looks like that other kid," he mumbled, recalling the purple-haired boy who was running around with Gohan's little brother.

Pan smiled, "He is that other kid. You see, we're from the future. That's that other kid, twenty years older. At least, it was twenty years older here…" she informed. Numbly, Sharpner nodded.

"Ah." He looked up at Majunior, "So you are…"

"Gohan. From the future," Majunior answered. Sharpner nodded again.

"Ah. You guys were in the Cell Games. I see."

Inside the group of Z Fighters was a small, golden-haired boy. Sharpner pointed to him, "And I bet he's Gohan." Majunior nodded. "Oh. Okay."

"You catch on quickly," Pan noted.

"No, I just bottle it up and save it for later." The Saiyan girl chuckled. In no time, the fights started. The two students of Hercule were quickly exterminated, and afterwards Hercule himself was also exterminated. "This is incredible…" the blonde mumbled. "It's like a front-row seat with absolutely zero possibility of dying." Majunior smirked. Well, perhaps not absolutely. They were only safe and sound as long as they kept their hands to themselves. Only a willing touch would blow their cover, thankfully. The Pendulum Room was good for simulations. Majunior recalled his father's friends training in it with Kami briefly before. Even though it appeared they were really in the past, they were really only shadows; ghosts. As long as no physical contact was made, the past Earthlings (or, whatever they may come in contact with) would continue to be oblivious to their presence.

The time machine that Future Gohan and his daughter traveled in is similar, yet very different. As the Pendulum Room is powered by pure Godlike ability, the time machines were powered by science. The time machines actually accessed the flow of time and traveled upstream. However, this room could, in fact, thrust whoever entered it into whatever era or planet that Dende or Mr. Popo wanted them to be in and give them the insecurity of being completely visible to the residence of said era and planet. However, this room is a one-way street until Dende or Mr. Popo gives another road to travel back on.

The fight between Cell and Goku commenced, but Pan was not watching, even when Cell destroyed the ring with a loud _kaboom_. She wasn't even paying attention when debris came flying toward them and the Z Fighters moved to the cliff they stood on. She gazed out into the field, near the direction that Hercule had been effortlessly tossed to. With a smile, she watched a tiny girl wearing an orange bandana tend to the large fighter's injury with a stray aloe leaf. The two chatted for a moment: greetings, thank-yous, explanations, etc. Hercule's expression was pleased as he watched the girl nurse his wounds. "Pan," Videl's voice caught the Saiyan girl off guard, "is that you?" Pan rubbed the back of her head and laughed softly, nodding.

"…_so COOL!_" Hercule shouted. The miniature Pan began to laugh, but the sweet sound was cut off suddenly.

"Well, I give up," Goku said happily. The Z Fighters on the cliff faltered.

"So, I guess this means- seeing as there are no more competitors- that I win!" Cell laughed maniacally, but was cut off when Goku spoke again. He pointed to the cliff side and the two Son boys looked at one another in shock. Their father urged them to fight, even with the scolding of his friends. Hesitantly, little Gohan and Majunior agreed to work together to defeat Cell. The boys' fighting style was, to say the least, unique. Their combination of Piccolo's and Goku's techniques soldered together seamlessly. One boy reflected the other's moves perfectly and, for a while, they appeared to have the upperhand. That is, until Cell found their weak spot: their love for others' wellbeing. So, he spawned little blue mini-Cells who, at the demand of their father, began to pound mercilessly on the boys' loved ones on the cliff.

Majunior was trembling. "I can't watch this," he stuttered. Pan tightened her grip on his hand.

"You don't have to watch it, but you're not stopping it yet. You can't go out there." Off to the other side of the battlegrounds where the news crew, Hercule, and Pan were located, Android 16 pulled Pan's attention back. A fond smile crossed her features as the enormous metal man stepped into the battlefield and took Cell in a stranglehold. Knowing what was coming next, she buried her face into her father's chest. Sharpner patted her back comfortingly, despite the fact he didn't know what was coming next. Since 16's bomb had been removed, courtesy of a certain blue-haired genius, Cell easily overpowered him after recovering from his own shock. 16's head landed at the boys' feet. A few silent words were exchanged before Cell cruelly smashed 16's head, erasing the android from existence for good. Majunior bit his lip and looked away, too pained to watch himself and Gohan's childish form annihilate the Cell Juniors. His attention was called back by a faintly familiar explosion. He looked up and, to his horror, found his daughter running away with Hercule and the other humans. He looked to his side, where Pan watched as well. Next to her was Sharpner, engrossed in the live action. To his left, Videl was silent, clinging to his arm.

Hercule glanced back and forth between the tiny girl and the two powerful boys fighting head-to-head with Cell. Even then, Pan's mechanical leg glistened in the fire and sunlight. Back in the fight, Gohan dug his fist into Cell's abdomen. The green android choked, something pushing its way out of his body via his mouth. Gohan stepped back, surprised and disgusted at the same time. Android 18's limp, soggy body fell to the ground. Videl's eyes became wide as saucers. "Cell ate her?!" she exclaimed.

"He also ate her brother," Majunior replied, habitually answering all of the girl's questions with sincere honesty. On the battlefield, Cell, as a last resort, bloated himself with his bomb. The winds kicked up violently. Goku placed two fingers to his forehead and appeared in front of Cell. Goku smiled and saluted the two hybrids. "I love you guys," he stated firmly. "I'm so proud of both of you." He placed two fingers to his forehead and one hand on Cell's bloated abdomen. The boys shot up and ran for him. Majunior found it hard to keep himself from running for the man himself, but his daughter's firm grip on his arm reminded him of his place.

Goku disappeared with Cell to unknown whereabouts. Gohan dropped to his knees and screamed, sobbing for his father to return. The boy's future counterpart sat numbly in the dirt, seemingly unable to comprehend that he had, in fact, failed to save his father's life. Again. The winds kicked up again suddenly and energy blasts shot out in random directions, hitting a news reporter or blowing up a rock. Majunior's former self stared at his younger counterpart. The wheels in his head where grinding. The four on the cliff side watched solemnly as Majunior's former self realized something. Something important. He jumped to his feet and blasted in Trunks's direction. Just in time, he shoved Trunks out of the way, but not in time to dodge an oncoming energy blast from impaling him through the chest. The two human teenagers screamed and squeezed their eyes shut. Pan bit her lip and buried her face in her father's chest again.

Trunks watched, frozen in time, as Majunior's body landed with a disturbing _thud_ on the red earth. Blood pooled around him, spurting out of his mouth, and dripping down his arms. Trunks crawled up to him and cradled the other hybrid to his chest. He hugged his body close and sobbed into Majunior's bloody shoulder. The older hybrid's hand pressed gently against Trunks's cheek.

"W-what's wro-ong? You… worried about… me?" Majunior smirked weakly. Trunks looked into his eyes and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm worried about you. I always am, you jerk," Trunks bit his lip; the tears fell down his cheeks. Majunior smiled and patted Trunks's cheek.

"I love you, too, lil' brother," his breath died on his lips and his hand fell back to his side. Trunks's heart squeezed. He hugged the limp corpse of his best friend closer. A ghostly hand pulled out from Majunior's dead arm and stroked his friend's hair, but it passed right through. Confused, the ghost pulled away, suddenly light and free from the cold heaviness f his dead corpse. Majunior's ghost broke away from the rest of his body and stood up. He watched as Trunks broke into the ascended state in both pride and horror. He reached out to touch, but once again, his hand passed right through. The ghostly Majunior drew his lips into a thin line and he looked out to the battlefield where Gohan was watching helplessly.

He watched as Pan screamed and fisted her hands in fury. Golden energy spiraled around her. Her hair sparkled golden and her eyes turned to tense teal. Trunks cradled the body closer, shielding it from the oncoming dust and rock. He looked up through the winds and smiled. He looked down at his big brother's body, "Hey, your baby's holding Super Saiyan. She could never hold it before." The ghostly Majunior turned back to his hybrid friend and nodded once, silently.

"This… this is so weird…" Videl squeaked. The ghost's head snapped up and he locked eyes with the human girl, who jumped back. The ghost's eyes widened and he glanced over the faces of his old school friends, a teenage girl, and… he locked eyes with Majunior.

"We're in the Pendulum Room," Majunior stated with a solid voice. The ghost looked confused. "It's a room in Dende's Lookout that allows anyone inside to travel to any place and time and appear as ghosts there. Unless one makes willing physical contact with someone else, that is." The ghost nodded, understanding.

"How long?" the ghost asked, his voice haunting and cold.

"Seven years." Pan looked up from her father's chest and dwelled in the man's beating heart. She met her past father's cold, lifeless gaze. The ghost smiled.

"Take good care of them," the ghost demanded from Majunior, "until I get back." Majunior nodded. With a final glance over the teenagers, the ghost faded.

Majunior chewed on his lip and looked back down at the two children on the battlefield. "Be right back," he mumbled and tore himself away from his daughter's grasp. She clawed for him to come back, but he was already on the battlefield.

"Daddy!" she screamed. "Stop! Please!" Sharpner held her shoulders, despite the knowledge that in reality he could never do anything to stop the Saiyan girl. Surprisingly, Pan paused underneath his grip. Although she didn't relax, she didn't chase after her father. Majunior kneeled down behind the young Gohan, whose hand was pressing firmly against Pan's shoulder. Together, the two children fired up a Kamehameha Wave, but unfortunately Cell had countered it with his own. The Z Fighters on the cliff side jumped in to help, but Cell blew them away effortlessly.

"I… I can't!" Gohan whimpered and closed his eyes. Majunior moved closer and pushed his hand gently against the child's back. Gohan's eyes snapped open and he looked down to Pan and then over his shoulder, but Majunior was just far enough away so the boy couldn't see his face. "D-Dad?" Gohan whispered just loud enough for Majunior to hear. A soft smile graced the time traveler's features. Having his hand on the boy's back allowed his emotions to flow into Gohan's mind, energizing him. However, in return, Gohan's pain of losing his father again pierced Majunior's heart, reopening old wounds.

"Come on, Gohan. You can do this," Majunior cheered, "I know you can, Gohan, I believe in you." Gohan squeezed his eyes shut tight. Noticing his struggle, Majunior shifted his position and whispered, "Steady your hand." Gohan nodded and straightened his arm. Majunior carefully thrust his arm out and pressed his palm against the back of Gohan's tiny, childlike hand. "Blow me away." The wave of energy blasted out, making the little game of Tug-o-War between good and bad even. More pain filled Majunior's heart, making him flinch slightly. Beyond the blinding blue light, Cell faltered. "Save us all," Majunior whispered gently into his counterpart's ear. Gohan's eyes widened and he pushed every bit of energy he had into the deathlike wave. Cell's bloodcurdling scream echoed around them before disappearing completely, along with his perfect body.

Finally, Gohan let the energy go and he dropped out of Super Saiyan. The ground below them had disappeared, leaving them to hover thirty feet above the blemished earth. Gohan and Pan smiled at each other. The tiny girl sighed and closed her eyes, slipping into peaceful unconsciousness. Gohan held her to his chest and fell to Earth, but Majunior caught him swiftly and laid him on the ground with loving care. "Hey," he whispered and leaned over his younger counterpart. The sun beat down on his back, and he wasn't sure if Gohan could see who his guardian really was. "I knew you could do it. I love you. I'm so proud of you." He lifted his hand from Gohan's shoulder. The boy let his eyes focus on nothing as he lay in the red dirt. After letting the words sink in, he laughed.

Majunior returned to the teens' sides. They watched the little boy in the crater laugh uncontrollably before passing out and being carried off into the sky by his friends. After a moment of silence, he sighed, "Come on. One more thing." The room began to spin once again. The blue sky and red earth swirled together brilliantly, creating a dazzling purple. Finally, after a bout of vertigo, the room stilled. Around them stood the Z Fighters, all dressed in black in the grassy field near the Son residence. Many of the attending folk were unknown to Majunior, but he didn't care. He and the teens stood behind Gohan and watched Goku's friends carry his casket down the aisle. Across from Gohan stood the past Majunior and little Pan, hand-in-hand. He looked about as happy as his counterpart to be attending the funeral.

As the casket passed, Majunior of the present time clapped a comforting hand on Gohan's shoulder and squeezed before letting go. Gohan swiveled around, brown eyes darting back and forth, up and down, but the time traveler was invisible. Majunior smiled and looked up, catching his former self smiling back into his direction.

"I think he saw you," Sharpner mumbled softly. Majunior nodded.

"I know he did."

-

The quartet exited the Pendulum Room solemnly, having ended their fieldtrip after the funeral. Videl broke away from the group and stomped into unknown areas, seemingly angry. Majunior bit his lip and motioned for Pan and Sharpner not to follow. The hybrid jogged up to Videl's side, but she refused to look up at him as she made her way quickly through random corridors. "Videl," Majunior tried, but she didn't answer him. "Videl," he tried again and put a hand on her shoulder. She batted it away and glared at him.

"I don't want to talk," she growled and continued her angry stride. Majunior frowned and continued to follow her.

"Tell me what's wrong with you," he ordered. "I'm not leaving you alone." Videl stopped suddenly, making Majunior nearly run into her. She spun around and glared up at him, angry tears in her eyes.

"Why did you show me that?!" she yelled, her voice vibrating off the empty stone walls. He flinched at the sound.

"So you would understand. So you and Sharpner would understand him."

"That's bullshit! You just wanted to hurt us. You wanted-"

"Videl," Majunior snapped. Videl clamped her mouth shut. "Videl, in my timeline, I knew you. I knew Sharpner. I even knew Erasa. I knew all of you after I got out of my killing spree. Sharpner was my best friend and I… you…" he struggled, "You two were the only hope I had left to be normal. Well, I realized being normal for me was not possible. I could and would never have a normal life. But at least as long as I knew you and as long as you didn't know the truth, I'd have some shred of humanity left in me.

"But at the same time, by keeping those secrets from you… I felt like I could never be myself. If I did anything out of the ordinary, everything I'd worked so hard to cover up would be discovered and my humanity would die away with the rest of my pathetic life. So, guess what? Eventually you and Sharpner found out about how out of the ordinary I really was. And then what? I don't see either of you again until my sophomore year in college. And then what again? I don't see you for nearly a year. And then what again, again? You _died_. You died because you couldn't take me, and you couldn't take the sick, mutated, monstrous, freak of nature that I was.

"I found that, if I had just told all of you about my abilities up front, you would have accepted me because you cared about me. Well I realized that a little too late. I realized that after your funeral and after Sharpner hated my guts even more. What started all this, you may ask? One little lie. "I'm not hiding anything," I said. Oh, God, that was the stupidest thing I ever said in my life…" Majunior panted and rubbed his face. Videl watched him with wide eyes, frozen in her place. Shocked. Majunior laughed dryly, "At least I thought that, even though my life was ruined, I could at least help Gohan's. I love that kid like a son and I can't stand by quietly while he destroys the greatest thing he'll ever have."

Videl stepped up to him and, in one fluid motion, wrapped her arms around his torso. He was too big for her to cradle him, so just squeezing him as hard as she could would have to do. She knew it wouldn't hurt him, not in the slightest. Shakily, he wrapped his arms around her tiny frame. "…Gohan was too young for that," she whispered. Majunior bit his lip and buried his face in her hair.

"Gohan was too young for a lot of things." He pulled away and walked down the corridor. Videl followed him closely.

"Where are you going?" She asked, slightly confused by his sudden change in mood.

"I'm going to find him."

-

TBC…

Whoo. Long chapter. Hope you guys are happy.

I'd noticed that my paragraphs were waaay too short. So, I set my View on Word to "Web layout," (It's normally on Print layout, making the paragraphs look big when they're actually very small). Pretty smart, eh?

Anyway, Reviews = Next Chapter.

/~drtrunksbriefs


	21. You Called Me Strong

Finesse

-

A child can change a person's entire world. Especially for a man who didn't even know about marriage until the day he got married. Goku bit his lip and stroked his youngest son's face. If only he'd known that Chichi was going to have another child… then he'd never left them behind. Goten… his face was so smooth, so perfect, just like his brother's. Even as the child slept, he still had a gravitational tug on Goku's heart. But…

Goku knew that he could never reclaim the place he'd left behind in his children's lives. He could see the obvious strings attached between big brother and little brother- strings that were meant to be between father and son. The same strings were attached between big brother and the small purple haired boy lying beside Goten. Trunks was meant to be close to Gohan. They were in the Original Timeline as well. It was to be foreseen.

The man's heart lurched. _Gohan_. Why wasn't Goku there? Why did he leave? Why did he listen? Gohan was a child. He was still a child. Just a little boy in a grown man's shoes, doing a grown man's job, without a grown man's hand in his hand. No, Gohan's grown man did as he was told and fled, allowing him to commit suicide.

Did Gohan not realize what he was leaving behind? He stroked Goten's silky locks and closed his eyes, sighing. Goku froze. Behind his lids he could see Babidi, grinning madly. He wrenched them open again. Babidi?! Babidi was _dead_. Wasn't he? Yes, Goku saw Majunior kill the little green monster, himself. He closed his yes again. As expected, Babidi was there again, wicked grin and all.

Goku shot up and rain out to the balcony where the others were standing around, worrying about what to do. "Guys!" he shouted. Krillen gave him a pained look.

"We know, Goku. Listen."

_Dear Earthlings,_ Babidi cooed, _I am the all-knowing, almighty wizard, Babidi. My companion, Buu, and I alone have the ability to kill each and every one of you on the face of this planet. No kidding. Watch…_ Babidi grinned wickedly and turned to Buu, who was smiling innocently. _Buu, are you hungry? What do you say you turn all the citizens of this city into… candy?_

_Candyyy!_ Buu squealed. _Mmm… yummy, yummy, candy, candy! _He turned to the city below and held up his single pink antennae. Humans floated into the air slowly, squirming and screaming at the top of their lungs. Their screaming was silenced, however, when they suddenly turned into colorful balls of hard candy and piled into Buu's mouth. The pink monster chewed happily and swallowed the mouthful. _Yummy!!_ he yelled.

Babidi chuckled, _This will happen to your city as well if you don't give up these three convicts: Majunior Son,_ a picture of Future Gohan flashed across the audience's eyes, _Gohan Son_, Gohan's image flashed, _and Pan Son_, Pan's image flashed. _Every hour I don't have these three terrible, terrible people, I will kill every person in every city I come across. Your time is limited, Humans. Find them. Contact me if you have any information at all. Thank you._ The audio faded, but the images were still apparent.

Majunior ran out to the balcony. All eyes turned to him. He frowned, "I saw."

"But why do they want… Gohan?" Chichi stumbled over his name, "He's… he's…" she began to choke. Ox King held her tightly.

Majunior shifted his weight and glanced over his shoulder to his daughter. "He's not dead," he replied. "He's alive somewhere on that battlefield. I know he is."

"..Yeah, he'd have to be!" Yamucha smiled uneasily, "We wished for everyone who died to come back to life, right?"

"Yamucha, we only wished for the people who died at the _tournament_ to come back, remember?" Bulma mumbled quietly. Yamucha's smile fell. Majunior jogged up to the edge of the balcony. "Gohan!" Bulma called, stopping the time traveler. He looked at her, questioning. "You can't be caught by Babidi. We need you here. If you use your energy, Babidi and Buu will pick up on your location and be here in no time to kill you." Majunior smiled.

"So I won't use my energy." Videl glared and ran up behind him and grabbed his arm just as he stepped over the ledge. He stumbled back. "What?" he snapped, a bit irritated.

"You're not going alone," Videl stated firmly, her eyes unwavering. Majunior frowned.

"This could be terrifying," he explained, "seeing Gohan like this. After all, depending on how exactly he did it, he could either be in one place… or several." Videl's determined face didn't falter.

"I blow men's brains out voluntarily. Sometimes it lands on me, but I pay more attention to the children screaming in the corner and being burned alive. Besides, Babidi's not looking for me, and I'm not strong enough to set off an obvious signal." Majunior bit his lip.

"Let's go." He scooped Videl up and hopped over the ledge and into thin air. She gasped and clung to his neck.

Pan watched her father leave once again. She sighed and hugged herself gently, looking off into space. They'd been in the Pendulum room for hours. The sun was finally setting, turning the entire sky an array of reds and oranges. She smiled as she recalled Gohan's words from what felt like an eternity ago, "Twilight at the top of the world." Sharpner came up to her and bumped her gently on the shoulder.

She didn't particularly mind his company. It was a little odd, however, seeing as his future ego was her late mother's husband. No, her mother and her father never married. Pan had discovered not too long ago that she was, in fact, the lovechild of her parents. Her father and mother could never be together publicly, what with Sharpner being as stubborn and greedy as he could be.

However, she loved Sharpner. Not in the way she loved her father, as a beloved parent and guardian; nor as she loved Trunks, a well-respected uncle and mentor; and not even as the late Bulma, a best and only female friend amongst a household of childish men. No, she loved Sharpner as a… well, Pan really couldn't put her finger on it. Perhaps she felt sorry for the man and felt if she didn't love him, no one would. For the months after she was born, he kept her and called her his own, but in reality her genes were obviously derived from Gohan's pool. The poor man was in denial until Gohan confirmed that Pan was, indeed, his.

Then, of course, Sharpner threw him out of his house. Yet, Gohan still got custody of Pan as her biological father. She supposed it helped to have the most powerful woman on Earth on his side. Pan often wondered how life would be if Gohan never came back for her. Would she be this strong? Would she notice the difference in herself and other girls her age? Would she doubt Sharpner's word? Would she know Gohan? Something told her that no matter how Pan was raised, she'd somehow find her way back to her father's arms.

She looked up to the Sharpner who had his arm around her shoulders comfortingly. Will he ever know? Maybe so.

-

Majunior released the teenage human from his arms as they fell, letting her glide on her own. She summoned her energy and slowed to a stop in midair, while Majunior simply plowed into the earth. She gasped in horror. The crater must have been fifty feet deep. How could anyone survive that?

He climbed out and dusted his purple gi off. She sighed in slight frustration. He cocked a questioning eyebrow. "You're supposed to be dead!" she exclaimed.

"Don't worry, I'll keel over someday." She only sighed again. He smiled and snatched her into his arms before darting across the ground. She gasped in surprise at his speed. Trees blurred past her vision before dissipating into plains, then to more trees, then plains, then trees, and so forth. He smirked at her shock. "I can't believe you're still getting surprised by these things," he poked, "especially after everything you've discovered in the past two days or so."

It wasn't long before the two came to the battered ground that Gohan had supposedly died on hours before. Majunior slowed to a stop in front of an enormous crater, one even deeper than the one he'd made before. Videl felt herself trembling. Gohan was in that thing? She looked up and around. Nothing. Back down into the crater. It was dark. He was in there? "Gohan?" she tried, her voice bouncing off the walls. No reply. Majunior gripped her hand gently and jumped into the crater, letting his feet slide down the sloped side. Videl followed until her vision was enclosed in the darkness.

The familiar smell of blood and burned flesh filled her nostrils. She wrinkled them, feeling her gut twist in agony. That was Gohan's blood. Gohan's flesh. She felt Majunior feel around on the floor of the crater. "Ah…" he gasped, his fingers brushing against fabric. "Gohan…" he felt the body, assuring that the boy's limbs were intact. "Come on, up you go…" Majunior hefted Gohan over his shoulder carefully and nudged Videl back to the top of the crater. She clenched her eyes shut and looked away, afraid to look at the damage to her beloved's corpse.

It was not a pretty sight. What was left of Gohan's tattered clothing was stained with crusting blood. His flesh was ripped with wounds, the result of too much energy trying to escape his pores at once. Although, surprisingly, all of Gohan's limbs were still attached to his body, there was obvious muscle and organ damage. Tears pricked Videl's periwinkle blue eyes and rolled down her cheeks in choking sobs. Gohan looked as dead as dead could be, being crusted over with dried blood, hour-old bugs eating at his open wounds, eyes sealed shut, hair matted and dirty, mouth agape… She covered her mouth with her hand and turned around, spilling her stomach onto the battle torn earth.

Majunior tore off his sleeves and peeled the bugs and maggots from Gohan's wounds with his finger. After flicking them onto the ground, he tied up the wounds and covered his exposed private areas where the fabric of his gi had been frayed into nonexistence. After cleaning the boy up as much as he possibly could with his limited supplies, he hovered his ear over Gohan's mouth and watched his chest for any sign of breathing. He smiled triumphantly. Gohan's chest rose in the slightest, indicating life.

"He's alive," Majunior whispered. Then, louder, "He's alive!" He threw his hands into the air happily. Videl's eyes widened and, forgetting the bile left on the ground, dropped to her knees on Gohan's other side and felt for a pulse. As expected, there was a faint pulse.

"O-oh, my God…" she stuttered. She couldn't help the grin that broke across her face. She nearly pounced on Majunior with glee. "He's alive! He's alive! Oh, for the love of God, he's alive!"

Getting Gohan back to the Lookout wasn't as easy for the human-hybrid duo as finding him was. They had to be extremely careful not to re-open one of his wounds. They periodically stopped to check his pulse, his breathing, and his bandages, just to make sure nothing was out of place. However, the hardest part was getting back up to the others. Majunior bit his lip and stared up the seemingly endless tower.

"Shit," he cursed. He peeled Gohan off of his back and cradled him against his chest with one arm. With the other, he gripped the slick siding of the wall and climbed up a few feet. His hand slipped, causing him to fall pathetically on his back. "Shit," he cursed again. Videl gave him a sympathetic smile. He ignored it and got back to his feet. He positioned Gohan to straddle over his leg and lean heavily on to his chest, allowing his arms to freely hug the tower. He smirked. "Better."

Scaling the tower with Gohan's limp arms curled around his neck, Majunior quickly found this method a lot more difficult than it initially seemed. To his relief, Videl was trailing in the air; ready to help the older hybrid in case of any slips or misses. He felt a small smile tug at his lips. Next to his ear, Gohan stirred slightly. The boy drew in a sharp breath and his eyes cracked open, breaking past the blood that had already dried there. His eyes were unfocused, staring off into the blur of colors. "M-Mage… Vid-del… I'm… I'm sorry…" he whispered.

Videl kissed Gohan's forehead comfortingly before he slipped back into unconsciousness. Majunior bit his lip, "I know, Gohan. I know."

-

Finally, the three reached the top of the Lookout, but not before stopping at Korin's and begging for a Senzu bean. "I don't have any more!" Korin shouted, "What is this, a bean factory?! You guys took them all hours ago! What happened to those? Geez, I should start charging…" the white cat grumbled and glared at the ground. Yajirobe rolled his eyes and plucked the last bean off of its stalk, then flipped it coin-style at Majunior, who caught it with ease.

"You can have it if you let me kiss that pretty girl with you-" Poor Yajirobe didn't stand a chance before Videl plowed her boot into his face. The three disappeared above the circular home. "No respect…" he pouted, rubbing the boot mark on his cheek.

Majunior clung to the ladder trailing up the half-sphere shape of the Lookout. Meaning, in other words, he was hanging on to a horizontal ladder. "A little help please?!" he called over the edge. Videl waved her hand for Majunior over the edge to obtain the other Z Fighter's attention, then commenced in peeling her boyfriend off of Majunior. As she expected, Gohan was heavy as hell. He had to have been over two hundred fifty pounds. It was a good thing she bench-pressed something around twice that.

Pan kneeled over the edge and gasped in shock. "G-Gohan! They have Gohan!" she confirmed and helped Videl pull him onto the tile; albeit a bit awkwardly, seeing as she was unable to use her energy to hover and obtain better access. Dende immediately began healing the beaten hybrid. His wounds began sealing, cells reforming, nerves reattaching. In no time, Gohan's fatal wounds turned to aged scars. Majunior bit his lip and looked away.

They officially look identical.

-

TBC…

Hooray! I'm happy with this chapter. It was a lot easier, deciding the contents of it was, because I wrote out an outline for chapters 21-26 today. I feel a lot less insecure now. I have to outline chapters 27-30 tomorrow. If only you guys knew what was in store for you.

Reviews = Next Chapter

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	22. You Called Me Weak

Finesse

-

Fried chicken, Spanish rice, mashed potatoes, collard greens, grilled salmon, porterhouse (rare, of course) all swirled around and gathered in a pile. Drool spilled over his lip.

_Goten!_ the food called. His eyes widened and he reached for a bite, but the food danced teasingly out of his reach. _Goten!_ the food cried again. A deep frown formed on his face.

"C-come on! I wanna eat you!" The food giggled and hopped away. His legs were heavy, as if something was sitting on them. Tears rolled down his cheeks as the food bounced out of sight and his stomach twanged with hunger. He felt breath tickling his ear.

"Goten! Breakfast time!" Trunks tried. His little friend's brown eyes snapped open and sat up abruptly, rudely knocking Trunks off of his lap, but not without colliding their foreheads together first. Trunks growled in pain and held his forehead, then glared up at the bed his friend had knocked him off of. "Goten! You're such a spaz!" the purple-haired boy scolded. ON top of the fluffy mattress, Goten continued glancing around the room happily.

"Food? Potatoes? Where'd ya go? Where am I? Oh, hi, Trunks!" Goten peered over the edge of the bed, the huge smile still present on his face. Trunks rolled his startling blue eyes and climbed to his feet.

"I don't know. Looks expensive though." Indeed, the room they resided in was all white, complete with sparkly vases and silky drapes. Trunks strolled out of the room. Goten's eyes widened and he jumped off the bed, fighting with the bedsheets that were determined to keep him entangled.

"Wait! Trunks!" he tried. Finally, he was free. He shot out of the door and down the hall, but his purple-haired friend had paused just outside the door. The two boys collided and fell to the floor.

Trunks pushed his friend off. "Goten, don't panic. I wouldn't leave you." Goten bit his lip and followed Trunks farther down the hall. "I can sense the others nearby," Trunks stated. Goten nodded and stretched his senses outwards. Just as Trunks had said, their mothers and mothers' friends were gathered not too far away. "I wonder what's going on? The last thing I remember was Gohan-"

"_Gohan_!" Goten squeaked and darted into an open room. Trunk blinked and looked into the doorway. There he was, his adopted big brother, laying flat on his back on a mattress in a sparkly-silky white room similar to the one down the hall. Goten clambered onto the bed and placed his hands on his brother's shoulders. He shook gently. Gohan's matching brown eyes didn't open. "Gohan! Breakfast time!" Goten tried, but Gohan's eyes still didn't open. Trunks climbed up the other side.

"Goten, that's not going to work. Gohan's not crazy about food like you are. He's crazy about that girl with the short black hair. What's her name? Vinny?"

"Videl! Gohan, Videl's eating breakfast!" Goten smiled happily. However, the smile fell when his brother's eyes _still_ didn't open.

Trunks sighed. "No, Goten. Gohan's old. He doesn't care if she's eating. Let's see… what do older people care about?"

Goten put a pale finger to his chin. He faintly recalled a magazine his brother had stashed underneath the wooden floor at the bottom of their shared closet. _From Master Roshi and Krillen! Happy 16__th__ birthday!_ was what he remembered had been written on the cover page in messy scrawl. Goten smiled and cupped his hands to his mouth. He whispered as if it were a huge, important secret, "Gohan! Videl is naked!" Trunks's eyes widened in bewilderment.

"I am not!" Videl crossed her arms as she entered the room. Pan covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. Sharpner, who followed behind the Saiyan girl, blushed deep red and stared down at a pretty vase, finding it suddenly interesting. "Why would you say something like that?" Videl cocked her head to the side. Trunks drew his lips into a thin line as he watched Pan giggle behind her feminine hand. A soft blush crossed his cheeks when she looked up and met his eyes. Happily, she waved. His blush deepened and he moved his gaze down to Gohan.

Goten smiled at her innocently. "Gohan likes naked girls!" Pan found it harder and harder to keep her amusement bottled up. "He's got a whole book of them in the floor of the closet at home! Master Roshi gave it to him." Trunks whapped the boy on the back of the head.

"And here I thought Son was an innocent child," Sharpner smiled and rolled his brown eyes. "Even children are corrupt."

Shaking her head and smiling, Videl patted Goten's head affectionately, "Goten, I don't think you need to rummage through Gohan's things anymore."

"Yeah, and stop blurting out your brother's secrets before Pan wets herself," Sharpner smirked at the Saiyan girl, who had regained control over herself again.

Goten blinked his wide brown eyes and cocked his head to one side. "Why is he asleep?" he asked. He looked back down at his brother's sleeping face. Unknown scars trailed along his exposed skin. Gohan was shirtless, he noted. He had half a mind to lift the covers and check for clothing on the bottom half, but he figured Gohan wouldn't like it if everyone else saw him completely naked (just in case he was). Why? Goten never understood it. What was wrong with being naked?

Exposing of the unanswered question, Goten moved his attention back to his brother's condition. Actually, the only thing making Goten sure that this person was really his brother was the familiar energy signal it gave off. His skin, his face, even his hair was different than it was at the tournament. He looked more tired. What had Gohan done to be this way?

Videl sat on the edge of the bed and cupped her cheek with her hand. How should she answer such a question, especially when the answer wasn't easy to understand? Pan sat on the edge opposite of her, next to Trunks. The boy had finally overcome his embarrassment (despite the pink that still tinged his cheeks) and he looked up into Pan's eyes, silently asking the same question. The Saiyan girl seemed to have just as much difficulty.

"Gohan had to take care of Buu," Majunior said and entered the small room. "But it didn't quite work. Buu beat him pretty bad. Trunks, Goten…" The two little boys stared up at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. Gohan? Their big brother? Beaten? "We need your help."

Majunior explained the situation, leaving out the gory details. After all, these boys were less than ten years old. They didn't need to know all the horrifying things that had happened just earlier that day. "Why did Gohan kill all those people?" "Is he going to be okay?" "Will his scars heal?" "Where's Buu?" "Why did Buu hurt him?" "What did we do to Buu?" "Why do you need our help?"

These were among the mountain of questions that Goten and Trunks piled on top of one another. Majunior answered them the best he could, "He wasn't in his right mind," "He'll be fine, he just needs rest," "It will take a long time," "On Earth," "It's not Buu, it's Babidi that wants to hurt Gohan," "Because they were fighting," "You didn't do anything to him." He sucked in a deep, long sigh before answering the last question, "Dad has an idea, and you two are the best choices. Besides, don't you want to make Buu pay for what he's done to Gohan?" Goten and Trunks looked at each other for the answer, but it was a rhetorical question. There was no doubt that Buu would pay for this tragedy. Majunior nodded. "Good."

-

The Fusion Dance came naturally to the children. Night had finally graced the top of the world, filling the sky with sparkling white and red stars. The boys' voices echoed through the Lookout. No one could sleep, not with Buu and Babidi unleashing their wrath on the world spinning below in their search of the Sons. "Again!" Goku barked. Obediently, Trunks and Goten repositioned themselves and repeated the act. The Supreme Kai and Piccolo watched on with interest, impressed at how quickly the boys had caught on.

"Fu… sion… Ha!"

Majunior sighed and looked away from the window. He let his eyes fall on the still body, still asleep underneath the comforter. Gohan still hadn't awoken. Majunior didn't blame him. Who would wake up right after making themselves explode? He gripped the screwdriver tighter in his hand. In his other hand, the robot Giru was limp, sleeping as well. 'Well, robots don't really sleep,' mused the time traveler, 'They hibernate.' He twisted the last screw out of its socket and dropped it on the table near Gohan's bed.

"Daddy?" Pan called. Three teenage heads peeked in from the doorway. Without looking up from his work, Majunior motioned for them to enter. Videl immediately took a seat on the bedside and laid next to Gohan's sleeping form. Pan pulled out an elegant white chair from the table and sat in it. Sharpner simply leaned against the wall near the window. "What are you doing?" Pan asked, curiously leaning over the table to get a better view of Giru in the bright moonlit night. The Lookout, being thousands upon thousands of feet in the air, had no electricity, so the residents relied on the natural light.

"Programming Giru to record," he replied, motioning to the tiny camera he was installing behind Giru's lens. Videl bit her lip, only halfway paying attention to the two's conversation. She trailed her finger down a long scar on her boyfriend's cheek. Majunior had one just like it. Down his neck, brushing the one that crossed his jugular. Majunior had one, too. The multiple burns and blemishes on his torso… Majunior had all of them. She pursed her lips and looked back up to his face. It was still sweet; Gohan-like. She smiled.

Sharpner gazed out at the moon, mesmerized by the round space object. "Majunior…" he mumbled softly. Said time traveler didn't look up from the circuits and wires of his little machine. "Why did you come here… that first time?" Sharpner looked away from the moon and focused on the two mysterious people sitting at the table.

"Time machine," Majunior replied quickly, sharply.

The blonde teen sat in the wide windowsill and placed his hands in his lap. "Did you… know me?"

Videl buried her face in Gohan's limp shoulder and placed a thin, strong arm around his torso. She felt his heart thump against her arm rhythmically. Such a beautiful feeling. "I did," Majunior replied. "You were my best friend." Why hide it? "We knew one another in high school, and we still know each other today."

"But we aren't friends anymore, are we?" Sharpner guessed. Majunior met his eyes.

"No."

"Why?"

Majunior looked back down at the cluster of technology in his hands. "I took everyone you loved away from you." Sharpner swallowed and slid his gaze over to the two girls. One who was clinging to Gohan for dear life, and the other who was gazing at Majunior with love and respect.

"…I see," he replied; voice quiet. A moment passed, "But, I guess I deserved it. When I first met Son, I didn't like him. At all. I was so in love with Videl, but she was so obsessed with him… she stopped noticing me," he said, as if she wasn't even in the room. "I was so mean to him when we first met. It wasn't just because I was jealous, though. I once saw him and his mother and his little brother shopping for clothes and… and I hated it. I hated how happy he was. How good his mother was to him. Then I looked back on my mother…" his voice cracked. "I suppose… you know how my mother was to me?" Majunior nodded, silent.

Sharpner was an abused child. Abused by his mother, ignored by his father, ridiculed by his siblings. Sharpner was the oldest of his parents' five boys, and he was also the target of his alcoholic mother's rage. He was cruelly mistreated, neglected, and abused. A slave in his own household. Slept in the basement, took baths of ice, then spent the family's dinner time on the rocks in the backyard. He was starved nearly to death, only allowed bits and pieces of food every few days. Just enough to keep him alive.

When Sharpner was a young boy, he was forced to run to school instead of having the luxury of being driven as his younger brothers were. He would sometimes steal from other children's lunches in an attempt to fill his empty stomach or steal frozen foods from the cafeteria, but he was caught one way or another. Soon, every day when he got home (or, The House, as he'd called it), his mother simply forced him to spill the contents of his stomach onto the floor, then eat the spilled bits again.

At age twelve, he was finally saved from his mother's wrath. At the time of his rescue, he was thin and sickly. Cold and distrusting. He went into foster care, moving from one household to another, until finally falling upon the two foster parents whom he lived with now. His current foster parents weren't bad people; they just didn't have that motherly or fatherly aura about them. Even though Sharpner was nearly an adult, safe from his mother's claws, he still looked over his shoulder for the wretched woman. Just in case she was near, ready to take him back to The House. To The Basement.

"…and I finally broke down to him," Sharpner's voice reached the time traveler's ears once again. "It was like he knew me, how I felt. He knew the torture… he shared his past, too, and we suddenly became best friends… we understood each other. The other's wants, his fears, his secrets, his fantasies… We could just look at each other and knew what the other was thinking. Like some kind of 'Kid With A Sucky Childhood' code." He looked back at Majunior. "Was it that way… in your timeline?"

Majunior's eyes were far away, back to his high school years. His confident, the only person who could understand his childhood anguish, his best friend. "Yeah, it was," he replied.

"How did that end?" Sharpner asked, still not caring about the two others present in the room. Right now, it was just him and Gohan. Future Gohan.

Majunior bit his lip, "We loved the same person."

-

Morning came and still no one had gotten a second of sleep. The Z Fighters gathered around on the balcony of the Lookout, centering the children in Fusion position. "They've finally got it right," Goku mumbled, a confident look on his face. "Let's do it for real this time, boys. Power up." Trunks and Goten nodded and did as they were told. Their levels were equal. Majunior shifted eagerly, the teens close by. Goten and Trunks looked at one another, nodding. "Okay. Begin." The boys began their routine; crouching and lifting their hands in the air, then scuttling closer to each other.

"Fuuu… sion," they said simultaneously, their expressions matching. "Haaa!" they yelled and bent toward each other, gently touching the tips of their index fingers together. Intense light emanated from their tiny bodies. The Z Fighters shielded their eyes, winds from the performance gusting toward them. Finally, the winds and the light died down.

"Oh, my God," Bulma squeaked and placed her hands to her mouth. Chichi's eyes widened and she stepped back.

"It… it worked!" she mumbled. The Ox King placed a large hand on her shoulder. Indeed, in the boys' place was a taller, more muscular person. He was a mixture of the two boys, with brilliant brown eyes and spiky black and purple hair. A smirk graced his perfect adolescent face, sparkling with mischievousness. Goku smirked back.

"That's my boy. Vegeta'd be proud, too. I know it."

"Call me Gotenks," the boy requested calmly. His voice was a double of Trunks and Goten, as if the two boys were talking at once.

The clapping of tiny hands sounded from behind the group. They all turned around curiously. Baba smiled from upon her ball. "Wonderful show, but I'm afraid it's time for Goku to leave. Your time is up, Son." After several heartfelt farewells (including one from even Gotenks), Goku stood beside Baba. He gazed up at the window that led to his eldest son's dwelling. "I'll tell him you said you love him," Majunior promised suddenly. Goku stared at him in shock, but he nodded.

"Thank you."

-

"Puppy! Puppy! Puppy! Whee-hee-hee!" Buu giggled and twirled around with the little golden retriever in his large hands. The puppy barked excitedly, its furry little tail wagging in a hyperactive manner. Babidi groaned and rubbed his forehead.

"Buu, we're not here to play with puppies. Have you forgotten your job? We're looking for those three brats!" Buu stopped twirling and stared at his master with a blank face.

"Brats?"

"Yes! Gohan, Majunior, and Pan! Did you forget? Gohan almost killed you! Majunior killed me! Pan is a threat! We have to kill all of them in order to take over the universe like my father dreamed of doing…" He looked up, but Buu wasn't paying attention. Instead, he was bouncing the puppy in the air, continuing his little playtime.

"Work no fun! Buu want to play! Play-play! Yay-yay! Whee-hee-hee!" Buu squealed and bounced his puppy into the air once more. Babidi growled and held up his hand. He shouted out a quick spell and, in a burst of light, the puppy's eyes dimmed and his body went limp. Buu caught him and inspected the puppy. It didn't move. It didn't breath. Its heart didn't beat. "Puppy…?" he whispered. The puppy didn't move. Its tail was limp, flopping over Buu's hand.

Babidi sighed and dusted off his hands. "There. The mutt is dead. Now you can concentrate on your work." Buu turned his head slowly. He stared down at Babidi in disbelief. "Come on. Don't look at me like that. That thing was dirty and it smelled like vomit."

"You killed my puppy…" Buu mumbled.

The wizard sent him a sharp glare. "Come on, Buu!"

A deep growl came from Buu's chest. "No! You hurt my puppy! You are not good! I don't listen to you!"

Babidi's buglike eyes widened. "Buu! You listen and follow whatever the hell I say! You're nothing but a fat, pink tool that is supposed to bend to my will! Now, I command that you find those three brats!" Buu glared at him hotly, trembling. The growl became louder. Babidi glared, too, but stepped back. "Now, Buu! Calm down… just do as I say and you won't have any trouble!"

"No!! Buu no listen to you… You bad! Bad Babidi! Babidi kill Buu's puppy!" his hands trembled, cradling the puppy to his chest. "Babidi pay…" Buu's eyes turned red and smoke blew out from the holes in his head.

"No, Buu, wait! Stop!"

"Buu no listen! Babidi will pay!" The smoke increased with the pink monster's fury and gathered all in one place. Buu screamed in anger, trembling and holding the puppy closer. "Babidi will _die_!" The smoke dissipated, revealing a thin, gray creature. Its eyes were completely black, lifeless as it tilted its head to the side and gazed around at the world. Buu widened his eyes, as if he'd never seen the creature before. It grinned, its gray skin wrinkling up at the corners of its mouth like curtains being pulled back. It disappeared from sight, then reappeared before the pink monster. Buu opened his mouth to shout, but he was immediately swallowed up by the gray creature via its mouth.

The gray creature swallowed up the last of Buu's boot and popped its jaw back into place. He burped, then grinned as his skin began to crawl. It buffed up slightly, revealing hard muscles. Its gray skin bleached pink and holes scattered up and down its arms, copying Buu's. The creature's eye twitched slightly and he hiccoughed. He hiccoughed again and bent over. He began to gag, then dry heave. A lump made its way up his throat before pushing through his lips and landing on the ground as a wet slop. The skinny Buu grinned evilly.

"Puppy!" he said in a deep, dark voice. He looked over his shoulder, black eyes wide with insanity. Babidi trembled.

However, he wasn't afraid for long, because thanks to Buu, he ended up just like the puppy he'd killed.

-

TBC…

Does Sharpner's childhood ring a bell to anyone? There's a very famous person with a childhood just like it. God, I love that guy. Wish I could meet him.

Love you, David Pelzer.

Extremely short chapter, and not a lot happened. But in the next chapter, a lot more happens. A lot. Trust me.

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	23. But Still Your Secrets I Will Keep

Finesse

-

Future Gohan sighed and traced the identical scars on his unconscious counterpart's damaged skin. Battle-stained, anguish-worn, aged skin of a war veteran. Yet, he was only seventeen. How does that happen? Sharpner blinked, his eyes burning as he did so. He followed the time traveler's arm down to his schoolmate with his eyes and considered his relationship with the other boy. As Majunior said, in the future, he'd taken everyone that Sharpner loved away from him. Would history repeat itself? He looked at Videl. It already had. However, that didn't bother him so much now. He looked over to Pan. His heart fluttered. The girls' relationship was so obvious it was painful. Pan was the daughter of Videl and Gohan.

Pan had silky dark hair like her mother, so soft and shiny. On Pan, it fell perfectly over her skull and spiraled down her back to where, if she didn't have it tied into a bandana, it fell over one of her shoulders. Videl's hair was much the same way when it was long. About the same length as well, Sharpner noted. However, Videl normally pulled it into two low pigtails and pulled both over each shoulder. Now that it was short, she looked older, more mature. It was still the same silky smooth locks, just in a smaller package. Sharpner had to admit, it accented her face more.

But why had she cut it? Gohan said it was a good idea, he recalled the crime fighter stating offhandedly to satisfy his curiosity one day during class. It wasn't as much of a weakness during a fight, she'd said. As true as the fact was, at the time Sharpner could help but feel a twinge of jealousy for his classmate. Videl would brush him off like dirt on her hands, but nearly melt on Gohan. Yet, the black haired boy barely noticed.

For this, Sharpner was glad. At least Gohan was acknowledging his friend's crush on Videl. That is, until it had slipped that the two were dating. Sharpner didn't think his heart could crumble any more than it already had. Gohan, after building a pretty castle with the fine grains of sand that Sharpner's biological family had made out of his love, trust, and heart, the black-haired boy simply kicked it back down. He never knew he could hurt like that. He'd honestly thought Gohan was different- Gohan was special. His special friend. His special ally in the hard life.

After expressing his rage and cooling down, Sharpner had time to think. Something in him had screamed that Gohan hadn't meant for Sharpner to get hurt. He'd found Erasa and that one kid who often inserted himself into their conversations and sat with them in the stands, still pondering the situation. Videl and Spopovitch's match had come up and, after Videl was beaten nearly to death, Sharpner finally saw it.

Gohan really did love Videl.

He saw it. He saw Gohan transform. He knew Gohan was the Gold Fighter, Saiyaman, the little boy from the Cell Games. He knew it all right then.

Well, he'd actually known before then. Rewinding a bit, Sharpner recalled the day he'd spilled his life to his classmate. That day, Sharpner's biological mother came to Orange Star High and gave Sharpner "a stern talking-to". _Don't talk to my sons!_ She'd screamed at him in the empty halls. _Don't talk to my family! You're worthless! You'll never amount to anything, and I don't want your grimy, filthy personality to rub off on them and _taint_ them!_

A hard slap and a spit in the face later, she was gone. Sharpner could feel the hot, wet emotion pushing up his chest, following the ice-cold fear that had been there moments before. The next thing he knew, Gohan was dragging him out of the hallway and into the fresh air outside. Into the comforting sunlight. When Sharpner's mother walked by on the outside, the two boys hid underneath a picnic table like children. They stayed there, in their safe, secret fort until the bell rang an hour later.

During that time, they talked. Sharpner spilled his life, and Gohan spilled his. All of it. The boy had begged, pleaded that Sharpner absolutely had to keep everything a secret. Sharpner agreed, as long as Gohan never spilled a single word about Sharpner's secrets as well. That's when Gohan had told him everything, about his heritage, about his childhood, about his father, about Cell. Although most of it was hard to believe, Sharpner tried to understand. He tried to trust him.

At first, Sharpner was positive Gohan was mocking him. That is, until he had proof. All Gohan had to do was float.

After that, Sharpner confided everything in the hybrid. Gohan was the first person to ever accept him as the person he was- the true person. To know exactly who he was, where he came from, how he acted, and who his parents were and still smile and say, "Hello."

That's all Sharpner had wanted. Someone to smile at him, despite his background, and say, "Hello." That's why Gohan was his best friend.

Sharpner realized that Gohan hadn't meant to fall in love with Videl. Sharpner realized Gohan would take good care of her, listen to her, and accept her for who she was, as well. Because that's just the kind of person he was. After knowing this fact, Sharpner could finally accept Gohan, as well.

Sharpner smiled at his best friend's sleeping face.

Majunior tensed. Outside, on the Lookout's balcony, someone let out a bloodcurdling scream. The Supreme Kai kicked Gohan's door open, his eyes wide and fearful. "Gohan!" he shouted, "Buu! He…"

"I know," Majunior stated firmly and ran out the door, the three teenagers close in tow. Out on the balcony, the others scattered across the white tile. Buu stood in the middle, head tilted, large sick grin plastered on his pink face. "He looks different," Majunior mumbled. "What happened?"

"Not important," Pan stated firmly. She glanced around, seeing Piccolo snatch the two boys away from their mothers and drag them off the side of the Lookout. Goten and Trunks screamed and kicked the entire way, but in their frantic state of mind, they were no match for the large Namekian. Buu lifted his antennae and zapped Bulma, turning her into a delicious hunk of chocolate.

Sharpner punched Majunior in the shoulder in a weak attempt to get the man's attention. However, it worked, and the two met eyes. "Protect them," Sharpner stated firmly. Majunior nodded. Sharpner looked out to the monster, who had his eyes set firmly on the time traveler. Sharpner ran up to him and quickly recalled his Martial Arts training. He delivered a swift kick, only to have it absorbed by Buu's rubbery form.

Buu glared down at him, slightly irritated. Sharpner froze underneath his stare, which only made the monster grin. "Aww, what's wrong? Little boy scared?" His voice was surprisingly deep and smooth. Almost comforting, despite the cruel, sarcastic words that leaked out of his lips. Sharpner trembled and pictured his mother in Buu's place.

He smirked, "Not at all."

Buu lifted his antennae and zapped Sharpner, turning him to sweet, sweet chocolate.

Pan screamed and covered her mouth with her hand. Majunior pushed the two girls to the edge of the Lookout. Videl's heel wobbled on the end of the tile. She held on to Pan desperately and stared up at Future Gohan in shock. "What are you doing?!"

"Go. You need to get out of here. Hide from Buu. There isn't much time." He held up his arm and pressed the shiny red button on the side of his watch rapidly, over and over.

"What are we supposed to do?! What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry about me. Help will be here soon. Just hide from Buu." Majunior nudged the human again, but Videl refused to fall over the edge. Angry, frightened tears burned her eyes. She knew that look in his eyes. That look said that he wouldn't be back. One question screamed in her mind.

"Wait!" she said, pulling against Pan's grip on her shoulders. "Tell me who Pan's mother is!" Majunior stared at her in shock. She held her ground, despite the water rolling over her eyelids. "Please, Mage! It's been eating at me since Gohan told me abou-"

Majunior cut her off, his lips sealing over hers. They were soft, warm. Their chapped texture was pleasant. It was familiar. His scent filled her nose. Cedar. So familiar. Gohan… her heart ached with- what? With what? Shock. Love. Despair. Sadness. All of the above. He pulled away slowly and gazed into her eyes. Understanding filled her. The tears fell down her cheeks. She leaned forward again, reaching for his lips again, but he shoved her away forcefully. She landed against Pan's chest, pushing them both over the edge.

"_Daddy!_" she screamed, reaching her hands out desperately. Videl's eyes were still wide and watery, even as Majunior disappeared and she and her future daughter fell back to Earth.

Majunior watched as Videl and Pan fell below the gray clouds. He touched his lips in faint amazement. When was the last time he'd done that? Kissed someone? Sixteen years ago, he mused. More? Maybe. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Giru's capsule, popping it open. The screams of terror faded rapidly as Buu ate the others. Giru saluted happily.

"Master! Giru… giru… What can I do for you?" the little robot chimed.

Majunior stared into its lens, "Begin recording, Giru."

"Yes Master! Giru."

-

TBC…

Ooooh!

Sorry for the wait. Graduation tests this week. Been stressing out. If I were a cat, I'd have lost all my fur by now.

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	24. You Took For Granted

Finesse

-

What does falling feel like? A gravitational pull on an object, one would answer. Well, yes, that's what falling is. But what does it _feel_ like? Being forced down against your will. Hurtling toward Earth or some other unknown planet without so much of a warning. After the terror of realizing you have no control over this fate, something of a euphoric sensation fills you, and you can't help but wonder what death is like. Will it hurt when you finally hit that ground? Will you know what had happened?

Remembering Mirai Gohan's death when she watched it in the Pendulum Room, he became a ghost of some sort. How did he know to disappear? Could he see something; some door that she couldn't? Videl sighed as strong, thin arms wrapped around her torso and the falling came to a slow. The high winds from falling from the top of the world stopped. The person held her tightly against their chest. A girl, Videl noted. That would explain the thin arms.

She was crying. The girl who stopped her from falling- she was crying. Crying on Videl. Wet, salty tears pooled from the girl's eyes onto Videl's shirt. _Pan_, Videl remembered. It's Pan who caught her.

That's right. It all came back. Majunior- Gohan was his name; Gohan from the future- he kissed her. Then, he shoved her away. Something hard hit her back and she fell over the edge of the Lookout.

Videl twisted her arms around Pan's torso and let her sob. The hard thing that slammed against Videl's back was Pan. It felt more like a wall of solid steel, rather than her spunky high school friend. _She's Gohan's daughter,_ Videl remembered. _Gohan isn't completely human._ That meant Pan wasn't completely human, either. She was more human than alien, however. Her mother was completely human.

The crime fighter hugged Pan tighter. She understood now. How could it have been so obvious, yet so hard to find? Videl was Pan's mother. Videl plus Gohan equals Pan. Videl pulled back and brushed the hair out of Pan's face. The girl's cheeks were wet and sticky and red. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying. Her hair stuck to her skin, but Videl disregarded it and moved the hair away. Pan hiccoughed and up and into Videl's eyes. She could feel her maternal instincts kicking in as she gazed down at the girl in front of her, who clung to her shirt like a lost child.

"You're my daughter, aren't you?" Videl whispered. More tears pooled in Pan's eyes and she nodded and buried her face in Videl's shirt again. The crime fighter hugged her and rocked back and forth, whispering sweet comfort words, trying to calm her down.

"Daddy loved you," she choked. "He loved you so much. Even from when he first saw you." Videl nodded and laid her head on Pan's. "You met in high school and fell in love, but you were traumatized and you were scared of men. But Daddy was so patient and calm, so you opened up to him and told him why you were afraid. But Sharpner didn't like your relationship so after high school he cut you off from Daddy.

"You and Daddy never got married, but you still loved each other and saw each other in secret. Daddy got you pregnant with me when you both were still in college, but you couldn't tell anybody. Sharpner became the King of the World because the androids caused so much chaos… a king was the only way to harness order again. Sharpner made you marry him and you never saw Daddy again until the day you died.

"You met at a coffee shop, but the androids attacked the city. Daddy blames himself for your death, even though he really didn't do anything. He could have saved you if the androids hadn't stopped him. By the time Daddy could get back to you, you were already dead. I managed to live, though, and he did a haphazard delivery. Then Sharpner came and took me away, but Daddy got me back, thanks to Bulma.

"But after you died, Daddy was so messed up. He loved you so much, Mama… he always had. He always carried so much guilt, especially for your death. He tried so hard to raise me the way you'd want me to be raised… he took good care of me. I promise, Mama. So please… please don't hate Daddy. Daddy loves you. He loves you so much, and he tried so… hard."

She felt as if Pan was talking to both Present and Future Videl. She felt cold wash over her as Pan rambled about her death; her mother's death. She remembered Sharpner and wondered if the same thing would have happened, had Majunior and Pan never come back. Had Buu never terrorized their lives. Would history have repeated itself?

"Does Gohan know… that I'm your mother?" Videl asked carefully, gently. She still held Pan close. Pan shook her head negatively.

"I don't think so. No one has told him. But Gohan's a smart guy- he could have figured it out by now."

Videl smiled, "Yeah, right. You and I both know that he's one of the most oblivious people out there." The two girls shared a laugh. Pan pulled away and wiped her eyes, then looked back up into the sky. The tower disappeared into the endless blue.

"Come on. Before Buu figures out that we're not all gone. I… I can't sense Daddy anymore. Or Gohan."

"He had some things to take care of," a deep voice came from behind them. Pan and Videl whirled around, only to see Piccolo and the children. Goten and Trunks ran up to them; Goten into Videl's arms and Trunks into Pan's. Small children. Scared children. "Come on. Let's go find Dende. I know he's around here somewhere."

-

The sun danced across the sky, passing time with grace only acquired from years of practice. The group of five finally found Dende, who was hiding out in the desert a good hundred miles from the Lookout's base. The group of five became a group of six. Two Namekians, two half-Saiyans, one quarter Saiyan, and a human. Pan grasped her mother's hand protectively as they trailed over the red dirt of their makeshift campsite.

Across the camp, Goten and Trunks practiced their fusion dance. Piccolo watched on, having taken Goku's place as their mentor. Dende sat on a rock, head in his hands, eyes closed. He stretched his senses out, finding that being God was more difficult when he was so close to Earth. Watching proved to be much easier from thousands of feet in the air.

However, every time he tried, the results were the same. "Everyone is dead," Dende mumbled. Goten and Trunks stopped their training. Pan and Videl stopped jumping from rock to rock. Piccolo bowed his head. "We're the last ones on Earth. Buu has killed everyone else."

Goten's eyes watered. "Even… Big Brother?" he whimpered. Dende pulled his lips into a thin line.

"I can't sense him, Goten. I'm sorry." Goten clamped his hands over his ears and fell to his knees. He pressed his forehead against the ground.

"No, no, no! You're wrong! He's not dead! He can't die! He's the greatest… Gohan can't die!" the child repeated over and over until his voice gave out. Trunks sat next to him, stunned from the news. 'Everyone' included not only Gohan, but Trunks's mother, too. The woman who loved him even when he beat up a kid at school. The woman who cared for him even after he threw up on her nice couch. The woman who fed him even though he ate enough to feed an entire army. The woman who birthed him- a Saiyan- and dealt with him on top of a non-supportive husband, a stressful job, the media hounding her every step… water rolled down Trunks's cheeks. His mom was dead?

Pan tensed, her eyes widening. "Buu… he's coming." Videl clutched her hand. Trunks and Goten glanced at each other and nodded.

Sure enough, Buu landed on a platform nearby the other Z Fighters. He cocked his head and grinned, his fangs sparkling in the sunlight. Pan stepped in front of her mother defensively. Buu began to chuckle. He locked eyes with the teenage Saiyan. "Your daddy is tricky," Buu's voice was twisted. "He made me very, very angry. Let's see how angry he will get if I kill his little girl." Pan burst into Super Saiyan. Videl covered her eyes, recoiling from the bright light and heat that exploded from her daughter's skin. Pan's hair spiked and spiraled over her shoulder, glowing white-gold. Her pupils dilated, green energy sparking behind them and turning them into a liquid teal.

Videl gasped and clamped her mouth shut with her hand. She looked over to Trunks and Goten, who performed the Fusion and became Gotenks. The boys' hair stood on end, a mixture of Goten's silky black and Trunks's wispy mauve. Their clothes combined, forming the traditional garb of a fused couple that consisted of an orange-and-green vest and white pants. Gotenks smiled mischievously and joined Pan in a fighting stance.

The ground rumbled with the two Saiyans' power, but Buu seemed unaffected. Gotenks was the first to attack, ready to test his newfound strength and abilities. After going head-to-head with the pink monster, he pulled out his special trump card. Gotenks grinned and spat out several ghost-like versions of himself. Every "Ghostenks" flew and twirled around Buu like irritating flies. Buu growled, frustrated, and made the mistake of swatting one. It laughed and exploded on his hand, melting it. Buu's eyes widened as he stared at his hand, giving the other "Ghostenks" the chance to cling to Buu's body and explode.

Buu was a pile of goo when the ghosts were finished. Gotenks laughed and celebrated. "Yeah! I killed Buu! Yes! We're the greatest- haha!" The boys separated, having their time run out. They hugged and bounced up and down happily. Neither boy noticed the pink goo jiggle and reform itself.

"Goten! Trunks! Watch out!" Piccolo shouted. The boys looked p, but it was too late. Buu swiped them, forcing them to slide painfully across the rocks and come to a rest. They didn't get up.

Pan growled and dropped back into her fighting stance. She rushed at Buu and went for a kick, but he dodged easily. He blocked her flurry of attacks without so much as breaking a sweat. He yawned.

Insulted, Pan reeled back and blasted her father's trademark Masenko blast at Buu. It hit dead on, but the smile on Pan's face disappeared with the dust. Buu smirked at her evilly. He launched at her. Exhausted from the blast, Pan held her arms up in weak defense.

But the impact never came. A sickening squish resounded through the desert. Buu's energy became farther and farther away.

"O-oh my God!" she heard Videl mumble. Warm, strong hands grasped her forearms gently and pulled them away from her face. A finger hooked underneath her chin and pulled her head up.

"Pan," a familiar voice called. "Open your eyes. It's okay now." The soothing voice calmed her heart. He was always like that- so cool and collected. Pan opened her eyes and met the brilliant blue eyes of her mentor.

"Trunks!" she shouted and hugged him tightly. "You're here!" Mirai Trunks caught his best friend's daughter awkwardly and patted her back.

"I wouldn't be if your dad hadn't basically raped the panic button on his watch a little while ago. What's going on?" He looked around the battlefield. He sighed, having already noticed the lack of inhabitants of the planet. "He said he could handle it. I should have come back with you two. I knew he couldn't handle it on his own." He locked eyes with Videl, but looked away quickly. Nearby the human, Piccolo bent down and picked up two small boys. He faintly recalled Gohan telling him about them- Goten and Trunks. Little Trunks he remembered long ago when they'd first come to the past. Goten was a surprise, though. If the androids had never happened in their timeline, Gohan would have a baby brother.

Trunks looked back to Videl. Then again, many things would have happened if the androids never came.

Pan pulled away and dropped out of her Super Saiyan state. "That pink thing… that's Buu. He's killed everyone. We're the only ones left."

"And your father? And Gohan?" Mirai didn't meet Pan's eyes. He already knew the answer before Pan's silence confirmed it. Mirai sighed and rubbed his temples.

Pan walked back over to Videl and held her hand. "This is Trunks from my timeline," Pan informed. "When I was a child, he taught me Martial Arts and helped me become a Super Saiyan." Videl nodded, inspecting the new time traveler.

Mirai Trunks was taller than Majunior by a few good inches. This was surprising, considering Mirai's genes. His hair was the same as his tiny counterpart's; smooth and thin. Its unusual purple color graced every strand. His face was thin and his skin was tan, proving his health and good shape. However, it wasn't his skin or his hair that was the most shocking. It was his eyes.

They were bright, blinding blue. It wasn't the same blue as little Trunks's. No, little Trunks's eyes were a fiery, mischievous blue that could only belong to an innocent troublemaker. Mirai's eyes were icy cold. Piercing. Videl bit her lip and looked away.

"Trunks, this is Videl," Pan introduced, "Gohan's girlfriend."

Trunks nodded. "Nice to see you again." A knowing smile pulled at Videl's lips. Even though she had never seen this Trunks before, he'd obviously met her. A long time ago, she noted. "How much does she know?" Mirai asked.

"Everything," Pan answered and squeezed her mother's hand. "Almost everything," she corrected herself. Videl looked up, surprised. Pan bit her lip. "Some things… you just don't need to know right now. But I promise you'll know in time."

-

TBC…

YES! Mirai Trunks is back! You guys didn't REALLY think I could just let him miss out on the fun, did you?

Eeegh. Sorry, guys, for the sucky fight scenes. I'm not so great with them, so I only hope they aren't as rocky as I thought they were as I wrote them.

Reviews = Next Chapter

/~drtrunksbriefs


	25. All The Times I Never Let You Down

Finesse

-

Dende pressed his hands against each of the boys' chests. He exhaled a long, deep breath and closed his eyes, allowing his energy to enter their bodies and stitch their wounds. Cuts and scrapes that littered their tiny bodies scabbed over and disappeared into new flesh. Bruises spread across their skin before yellowing and fading as well. In no time, Goten and Trunks looked good as new.

Trunks was the first to stir. He groaned softly and rubbed his head before propping himself up on his elbow. He opened his young blue eyes and looked around, first meeting those of the female time traveler. "Pan!" he exclaimed and jumped up. He inspected her dutifully, making her grin with hidden amusement. "You're okay… I saw you transform! That was so cool! Wow!" He clenched his hands into excited fists and looked up at her. Pan was, in fact, a good two foot and a half taller than him, but he didn't seem to notice the height difference.

Goten yawned and cuddled into the red earth before opening his eyes. He blinked several times, letting the motions take the sleepiness from his body. "Mm…" he groaned and sat up. "What happened?" He let his eyes travel over the faces around him. Videl, Pan, Trunks, Dende, Piccolo… he blinked and studied the last one. Mirai shifted his weight from one foot to the other and glanced away, unable to keep eye contact with the unknown half-Saiyan. "Hey, Trunks, you grew up fast!" Goten grinned and looked down at himself. His smile dropped into disappointment, "But I'm still little… Aww man."

The little boy's lilac haired friend blinked and looked up at his future counterpart with wonder. "You're me!" he pointed out in wonder. Goten hopped to his feet and looked up at Mirai. He barely came up to Mirai's waist. Trunks circled them, taking in every detail. "Yeah, Big Brother told us about you."

Mirai shifted uncomfortably, "Big Brother?"

"Gohan!" Goten exclaimed the well-known name excitedly. "He's Trunks's big brother, too, even though they're not really related. But Mama and Bulma say they might as well be," he stuck his tongue out playfully. Trunks smiled and nodded, standing behind his friend. Mirai knitted his eyebrows together.

"…You two cause a lot of trouble, don't you?" he asked. The boys looked at each other sheepishly.

-

"So… that's the story, huh?" Mirai reclined back on a rock and looked up into the clear blue sky. Such irony, it was, that Earth's doom landed on such a beautiful day. Nearby, Videl lovingly cradled her boyfriend's little brother in her lap. Goten- ever obliviously happy- looped the last of the daisy chain he was making and placed it on top of her head.

"Gohan taught me how to make these," he remembered fondly. Videl smiled, finding happiness in this little boy.

"Thank you," she said politely. Goten smiled and nodded.

Piccolo looked back over his shoulder to the small group, "Yes, that's the story. We have no idea if Gohan and Future Gohan are actually dead. We just can't sense their energies. Wh-what are you doing?" Piccolo turned all the way around to see Mirai hop onto his feet and hover in the air. Mirai stared at the large green man incredulously.

"The Lookout," he replied. "How do you know they aren't still up there? Maybe something will give us a clue as to what happened. It's better than sitting here and wondering when Buu will get back to kill us all. Besides, at least if we know for sure that Gohan is dead-"

"He's not dead," Videl interrupted. Mirai Trunks glared at her hotly, but she ignored it. "He's not dead. I can feel it."

Mirai frowned and looked into the sky again, "Yeah, my mother had a knack for saying the same thing."

"…She was always right, wasn't she?" Videl stroked Goten's soft raven locks dotingly. Mirai nodded slowly and took off to the air, the others close behind.

-

The Lookout was, at least, still intact. Mr. Popo's beloved plants were destroyed along with most of the clean white tile and a few of the buildings. "Looks like there was a fight here," Mirai mumbled. Videl landed softly behind him and looked around, feeling her heart wrench. The Lookout was cold, barren. Void of any signs of life. Was she wrong? Could Gohan really be dead? But… he never had a chance. He was still asleep when Buu showed up. She felt anger swell up inside her. Anger at Buu for ruthlessly killing her lover. Anger at Majunior for disregarding his counterpart's life. Anger at herself for not staying by Gohan's side. How could she have been so stupid; so neglectful?

They could have at least died together.

"Hey, look! A shooting star!" Trunks pointed out, but his weak smile quickly faded as the star came closer and closer to the Lookout. "Oh, crap…"

"Get down!" Piccolo shouted and shoved the two boys to the ground. The other four Z Fighters dropped to their knees as well and covered their heads from the impact of the star colliding with what was left of the godly abode. After the debris came to a stop, each fighter lifted their heads to inspect the damage. The star- or, meteorite, rather- did, in fact, destroy the rest of the castle on top of the world. It completely flattened the lookout mercilessly. Dende sighed and looked down to his feet.

"Mr. Popo would be so upset if he knew what happened to his plants…" the little god remembered. Piccolo stepped into the mess of rubble and looked around, searching for the cause of this mess.

"I'll be damned if Buu didn't hear that," Piccolo mumbled dryly. The others quickly joined him in his search, but came up with nothing. That is, until the meteorite decided to show up itself.

"Paaaan! Giru-giru…" the tiny white robot bounced out of the dirt and clung to Pan's back. Pan grinned happily and hugged him. Mirai growled and reached out to snatch him away, but Giru moved behind his master's daughter for protection. "Mean! Mean Trunks! Giru scaaared… Giru… Giru…" Mirai rolled his eyes and crossed his arms unhappily.

"Giru! You did this?!" he shouted, motioning to the destroyed dwelling. Giru buried his face in Pan's hair and trembled.

Pan glared hotly at Mirai and patted Giru's back. "Come on, Giru. It's okay. That mean old beast won't hurt you. Promise." Mirai groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. Giru pulled his head out of her hair, but still clung to her body like a child. "What were you doing in space, anyway?" she asked. Something sparked in his robotic mind and he jumped away, regaining his ability to hover in the air.

"Oh! It was Master! I followed Master!"

Mirai's eyes widened and he grabbed Giru by his thin, white, metallic arms. Giru screamed, but Mirai disregarded it. "Gohan?! Gohan went into space?!" Giru continued to scream. Mirai sighed, frustrated with the little mechanical device. "Stop screaming and _answer me_!"

"You're scaring him!" Pan shouted and thumped her friend on the head. Mirai let go and turned away, giving the others an irritated look. Pan shooed him away and held Giru again, "You followed my father into space? Why was he going into space? Was he in a shuttle?" Giru bounced away and floated in the air again, comfortable now that Mirai was far enough away.

"Giru show you! Giru recorded it!" He turned around and popped a slab of metal off of his back, revealing a shiny black screen. The others crowded around the tiny robot to watch. The screen sparked on.

"_Recording! Giru-giru… Recording now, Master!" Giru's voice came from behind the scene. Majunior ripped his eyes away from the edge of the Lookout and nodded._

"_Thank you, Giru. Come on, follow me." Majunior disappeared off screen, revealing Buu turning another one of his victims into chocolate and eating him. "Giru!" Majunior called. Giru turned away and floated up to his master. Majunior ran inside the building and scaled the stairs with ease. An explosion sounded from behind him, making him stumble, but he regained his footing and continued. Giru kept the camera on his master devotedly, only occasionally glancing over the pink monster that was chasing him._

_They burst into Gohan's room. The camera landed on the still hybrid in the bed and the purple god kneeling over him. "Go! Take him, Shin. Take him and do whatever you can with him to make him stronger." Shin looked on in shock. An explosion sounded from outside the window. Majunior bared his teeth, "There isn't a lot of time! Don't give me that stupid look! Listen, Gohan can stop this. All of this. He just needs to awaken all of the hidden power inside of him. He is this planet's only hope to survive." Buu jumped into the window and grinned wickedly._

"_Peek-a-boo, I see you!" Buu chanted playfully._

"_Go, now!" Majunior lifted his counterpart and shoved him to the Supreme Kai. The hybrid groaned and held his head, his eyes opening._

"_M-Mage? What…" Gohan's eyes widened, fully awake. He watched as Buu slinked through the window slowly, his fangs showing through his black gums. The Supreme Kai clutched the hybrid's arm and placed two fingers to his forehead. Majunior smiled at him weakly. Putting the pieces together, Gohan realized what was going on. "No… Mage! No!" He reached out to grab his older counterpart, but just before his fingertips could graze the man's skin, he disappeared from sight._

_Majunior bit his lip and sighed. He turned to Buu and locked eyes. Buu tilted his head and wiped the drool from his chin. "I don't wanna eat you," Buu said in his silky dark voice, "I wanna absorb you. Your power… it's incredible. I want you."_

"_Sorry, I'm already taken," Majunior replied sourly. Buu's grin only widened, making the skin around his mouth wrinkle and fold and his cheekbones raise._

"_Too bad," Buu lifted his hand, fingers spread. "I have you, now." Majunior swiped the hand away, knocking it clear off of Buu's wrist with a sickening _crack_. Buu's smile didn't disappear, however. The hand fell into the corner and melted to a pink, gooey liquid. Majunior didn't look surprised. He raised his arm above his head and smiled._

"_Buh-bye," he mumbled and blasted the roof. It made a nice-sized hole that revealed the clear blue sky. "Come on, Giru." Majunior jumped into the air, just barely missing the gooey liquid that launched itself at him. Once in the sky, Majunior reached down and grabbed Giru's scrawny arm. Giru looked back down and screamed. Buu was following them._

"_Master! Danger, danger! Buu is following! Buu is following!" Majunior smiled down at the robot._

"_Don't worry, Giru, he'll be gone soon." His voice could barely be heard over the roar of the thinning winds as they ascended farther and farther into that seemingly endless blue. The sky faded to pitch black, only dotted by distant stars. Majunior launched himself through the empty void, quickly leaving Buu in the darkness. He circled around the moon and landed on the dark side. Giru flipped nightvision on, revealing his master pressing his back against the white dust. Majunior held his nose and mouth and glanced around, but seeing nothing through the darkness. He looked up at Giru._

"_Master… Master, there is no oxygen here. Detecting zero oxygen. Master needs to return to Earth. Master needs to return to Earth." Majunior batted his hands as if to clear the words from his mind._

"_No, Giru. Turn the nightvision off, please." His voice was high, strangled. Giru hesitated, but obeyed. The nightvision flipped off, clouding Giru's vision in darkness._

"_Master… Master, don't die. No, Master. Please don't die, giru-giru,"_

"_I love Pan," Majunior's voice was higher; weaker. "And I love Trunks. He'll be there soo-" his voice gave out from the lack of oxygen. He made tiny, strangled sounds and shuffled in the dirt._

"_Master!" Giru flipped his nightvision back on, revealing Majunior curling up in the dust. His face was colored; eyes bloodshot. He glared at Giru. Obediently, Giru shut his nightvision off again. The surface of the moon was finally quiet. "Master?" Giru squeaked softly. He turned his head, gazing out at the starstruck view. "Master…" Taking the risk, Giru turned his head back to the moon and flipped his nightvision on. _

_Majunior was gone._

"_Master?!"_

The screen shut off. The slab of metal that had previously been lying on the ground reattached itself onto Giru's back. The little robot turned back around. Pan trembled and looked at Videl. "Daddy is dead," she mumbled, even though everyone already knew it. "He killed himself so Buu couldn't absorb his power. So Buu wouldn't become stronger."

"He kept his body," Mirai added emotionlessly. "A person only keeps their body after death if they did something heroic during their lifetime. The first time he died, his body stayed mortal. That means that what he did for us today was the right thing to do."

"But…" Goten began, "Big Brother said that if a person dies more than once, they can't be wished back to life again."

"That's true for Earth's dragon, Shenron, but if we make the wish on Porunga, Namek's dragon, he can die and come back to life as many times as he likes," Piccolo informed.

"At least Gohan's alive," Trunks said softly. He glanced up at Videl. "That thing really works, huh? How you know when something is wrong with Gohan?" She smiled softly and nodded. Trunks smiled back, "Gohan's with that purple guy, wherever he is. He's training and getting stronger so he can help us."

Pan placed a hand to her head and nodded. "Yeah, he's going to help us. Then we can get Daddy and everyone else back." Goten grinned and hopped up and down.

"Yeah!"

Buu giggled from the edge of the Lookout, gaining everyone's attention. "He's tricky," he said darkly. "But he's not here right now."

-

TBC…

Guys, this week has sucked royally. Sunday, I was bitten by a stray dog. Twice. Drew blood both times. Okay, can't find the dog. It's okay. Go to the doctor Monday. Doctor gives me Augmentin. Tuesday, I'm covered in a rash. Stay home from school, go back to the doctor. Allergic to Augmentin. Get a different antibiotic. Cefuroxime. It's working, I guess. Take some Benadryl, go to sleep. Wake up. My stomach is ripped to shreds. Disgusting stuff coming out of every hole I have. Still can't find the dog. Need Rabies shots. Go to the hospital at 7:09 PM. Family friend gets me in with a doctor quickly (Thanks!). Take my weight, take my temperature, take my blood pressure. Normal, normal, normal. Bites are on my legs, so I get tons of shots around the puncture wounds. Didn't make a sound, but I think I almost broke Mom's hand. Afterwards, feel like I'm gonna vomit. Doctor gives me a bag and a wet washcloth that he said I could keep. "Courtesy of the Medical Ward." By this time, it's midnight. Mom and I go to Denny's, but I couldn't eat. Call Devin on the way home. Let him know I'm okay. Have to sleep with Mom in my bed that night. Rough night. Didn't sleep much.

Feeling better today. Stayed home from school again. Have to go see another doctor. Can't get the puncture wounds wet, so I have to dunk my head in the kitchen sink to wash my hair and take a "bath" right there. Fun.

See you guys.

Reviews = Next Chapter

/~drtrunksbriefs


	26. You Stumbled In And Bumped Your Head

Finesse

Author's Note: Thanks for all the get well wishes, guys! I'm feeling much better!

-

People.

So many people. So many undecided souls among his solid body. They all stood in line, jabbering and looking around at their new surroundings. "Is this heaven?" "Do we get halos?" "Shouldn't we have wings?" "Where is God?" Future Gohan frowned and rolled his eyes. He couldn't blame the humans for being lost or confused. They'd never really died before. One thing puzzled him, though. Why did he have his body? He didn't bother looking down at the scarred complex. He knew what it looked like already. He knew what would happen, too.

King Yemma would read his past deeds to him, stamp him with the hammer, and kick him into Hell. Again. Just like everyone else who had done the action the humans call "sinning". Only, this time he'd have his body. Legs to kick the asses of his cell mates. He looked over the others' ghostly heads. The spirits stretched all the way down Snake Way. He sighed.

"NEXT!"

But hey, at least the line was moving.

A blue ogre wearing a business suit hovered down the line, shouting at some of the more active spirits to knock off the rough housing with his loudspeaker. Future Gohan crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one leg lazily. The ogre settled his eyes on him before they widened and he began stuttering like a fool.

"D-d-daah! A solid… You! You're Gohan! Come here! Get on! King Yemma needs to see you right away!" Future Gohan blinked and hesitantly climbed on to the little scooter. On looking spirits watched curiously as they sped away over the golden clouds, closer to the giant office building. "King Yemma! King Yemma! I've found him! Here! It's the Original Gohan!" The scooter came to a sudden stop inside the building, making Future Gohan fall off the back and land painfully on his bottom.

"Ah, yes… Original Gohan. Or, as your friends like to call you, _Majunior_." King Yemma stared down at the time traveling hybrid with a raised eyebrow. Majunior grinned sheepishly and waved a hand.

"Hey, Yemma. Long time no see."

King Yemma adjusted his reading glasses and straightened a stack of papers on his desk. "Right. You look different this time." Majunior shot him a confused look, which he ignored. "Anyway, I wanted to read you as soon as possible because-"

"Yeah, yeah, you want to get me into Hell so I won't cause any more trouble." King Yemma sighed.

"Just listen," he mumbled, tired. He pulled a thin book out of his desk drawer and blew the dust off of it. "Okay, here we go. Your own special book." Majunior smirked. "Sins you have exhibited: Wrath, envy, pride, sloth, greed, lust…" he paused and sighed through his nose, then continued. "Six out of seven. Forgivable sins: …"

Majunior bit his lip and looked around at the ogres staring at him. Yemma began again, "No forgivable sins. Reasons: For wrath, slaughtering one third of Earth's population. For envy, coveting your King's wife. For pride, assuming yourself as God. For sloth, refusing to help your endangered friends from androids 19 and 20 in the Alternate Timeline. For greed, taking your King's child forcibly. For lust, rape of one Videl Satan." Majunior bowed his head and covered his face with one hand. It was so long ago. He had no control.

"Virtues you have exhibited: Patience, kindness, humility…" as King Yemma listed the virtues, Majunior uncovered his face and stared up at him, mouth agape in surprise. "…Diligence, charity, chastity, temperance, and justice." King Yemma smiled down at the hybrid. "That's new, huh? Didn't hear that last time. Eight out of seven virtues. That's right, eight. You hit the secret one," he smirked proudly. Majunior sighed in relief. "Virtues accepted: All virtues accepted. Reasons: For patience, keeping your alternate counterpart safe, even as he was possessed. For kindness, controlling yourself around your victims without repeating your previous actions in your own timeline. For humility, not overshadowing your counterpart's actions…"

Majunior hugged himself and stared down at his feet in shock. He'd actually done good things? After all he'd done as a teenager… he had finally repented them? He'd actually done himself justice?

"…For diligence, your will to watch over your counterpart for as he needed you. For charity, allowing the alternate counterpart of your lust victim to live in your house peacefully. For chastity, teaching students at not only your counterpart's school, but also your victims'. For temperance, constantly keeping an eye on your counterpart for reason of the greater good and his own protection.

"And for justice, doing what I never thought possible for you to do: telling the truth." Majunior grinned and stared up at King Yemma happily. "You've really made us proud, Gohan. You've achieved all the virtues your father had, and then some. Thanks to this, your good outweighs your bad, and I can admit you to heaven for an afterlife of peace and happiness." He raised his large red hand and hovered it just over the hybrid's head. When he removed it, a golden ring shone brightly in its place. "Congratulations. Now get your rotting carcass into heaven and smile."

Majunior grinned happily.

"Wait!" an old woman's voice called. Majunior turned around. Baba floated on her ball just inches away. A distressed look filled her face. "Something terrible is going to happen. You may be a golden angel, but your counterpart…" She looked down at her crystal ball. "I've seen the future. Dead or not, you can't quit helping him now. I'm sending you back to Earth. Reach them quickly. You don't have much time."

"What am I looking for?" Majunior pleaded, "What will he do?" Without answering him, she waved her hand and sent him back to his planet.

-

Mirai gasped for air and held onto the fused children tighter. Below them was what remained of the obliterated Lookout, courtesy of Buu's decision to detonate himself.

This monster was unbelievable. Ten years ago, there was no one worse than the androids. Mirai was sure that back then, if he'd known about this dangerous joke of a threat, his head would have exploded. He looked down at the combination of himself and Gohan's little brother. How did they do that? How does that work? How long does it last? How do they think? How do they work together?

How did they get up here, anyway? He felt the arm encircled around his waist loosen and he instinctively kicked his flying ability in. He dropped the boys- er, boy, actually- and looked over his shoulder. "G-Gohan," he squeaked. Realization hit him and he sighed. "Oh, no, wait. Not my Gohan. This timeline's Gohan. But…" the other hybrid glanced at him, a small smile on his face.

"Hey, Mirai. How are you?" he asked. Mirai tilted his head and pointed to the scars littering the other man's face. Piccolo inspected the boy as well before letting go of his back and letting Dende fly on his own. Gohan frowned and looked away, to the girl in his other arm. Pan let go of her grip around the hybrid's waist and floated alongside Mirai.

Mirai bit his lip as he watched the two lovebirds hug tightly, wordlessly. Pan nudged him and gave him a reassuring smile. Mirai relaxed slightly. So they were different here. "Gohan, tell me, what happened?"

Gohan bit his lip and pressed his forehead against Videl's. She smiled curiously. "What happened?" she repeated.

"The Supreme Kai took me to his planet. The Planet of the Gods. There he tried to train me with some kind of sword, but… Dad and I kind of… broke it," he smiled sheepishly at this, "But some old Kai came out of it and taught me how to tap into my hidden power. With it, I could learn things really fast, like… I can use instant transmission like Dad, which is how I got here."

Piccolo thought deeply, "So breaking the sword turned out to be a blessing in disguise." Gohan nodded and smiled. Something hard slammed into his chest suddenly, wrapping its strong little arms around his torso.

"BIG BROTHER!" Gotenks exclaimed, tears in his big brown eyes. Gohan blinked and stared down at him, eyes wide and confused. "I missed you so much! I was scared you were dead! But I'm glad you're okay now!" Gotenks buried his face in Gohan's chest and laughed happily. Gohan looked up at the onlookers in confusion, pointing to the child.

"That's Trunks and Goten. They fused together to try to kill Buu, but it only lasts thirty minutes. They'll split in two again in a little while," Piccolo informed. Gohan nodded and hugged the child back.

"Fusion, huh?" Gohan mused. "Funny thing about that. See, Old Kai gave me…" he shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out two little orbs attached to their own tiny chain, "these. They're Potara Earrings. If two people put one on opposite ears, they fuse. Except, this fusion is permanent." The others looked at the tiny orbs in awe.

"The Supreme Kai was wearing those when he was here!" Gotenks said and took one of the earrings from his older brother. "I bet if you fused with someone, then that person could fuse with someone else, then with someone else… they could make the strongest being in the universe!" Gotenks grinned and imagined it. Gohan smiled and patted his head.

Mirai crossed his arms and looked back down at the demolished Lookout. Buu stood on the remains, grinning up at them. At Gohan. "Piccolo," Mirai mumbled, "take Videl, Pan, Dende, and the boys and get away from here." No reply. "Piccolo," he called again and looked over his shoulder. A large pink blob had wrapped itself around the Namekian's head and continued to engulf him. Gotenks' eyes widened in horror and flew over to him, reaching desperately in an attempt to save him.

"No, Goten! Trunks!" Gohan shouted, but it was too late. The blob latched on to Gotenks's arms and grew up his shoulders. He tried to pull away, but it merely sucked him back in like chewing gum. The blob engulfed Gotenks as well and flew back down to the patient pink monster. It slapped into his body and absorbed into his skin, making him glow and pulse with a heartbeat. "He's… he's absorbing their energy…" Gohan's voice was soft, horrified. It was all he could do to watch as his two little brothers died a the hands of a monster. "N-no… I should have stopped them! I should have been faster!" He glanced over to Pan, who stiffened as his eyes landed on her. "Take Videl and Dende," he ordered. "Now." She bowed her head and did as she was told.

"You'd better not die!" Videl shouted as Pan dragged her down to Earth. Gohan smirked and nodded, then looked over to the remaining party. The two met eyes.

"You look like him," Mirai noted.

"I don't act like him," Gohan assured. Mirai smirked and looked down at the new Buu. His antennae was longer; face thinner, more Piccolo-like. His newfound clothes resembled that of Gotenks's.

"Ready to kick some pink ass?" Mirai asked. Gohan nodded and gently put the Potara earrings in his pocket for safe keeping.

Together, they blasted down to the pink monster's height and attacked. Mirai immediately pulled out his sword and chopped Buu in half, only to have him reattach himself. Gohan didn't bother to turn Super Saiyan, but the energy was still there, eagerly waiting to be tapped into effortlessly. The two attacked relentlessly, but Buu simply absorbed the attacks without making a sound or breaking a sweat. The small smile never left his face. Angered, Mirai sliced him to bits, but became even more angry when the pieces just reattached themselves. "God dammit!" he cursed and burst into Super Saiyan. Before he could land a hit, however, Buu seemed to become bored of him and backhanded the older hybrid away. Mirai plowed into the remains of the Lookout and stilled. Gohan growled and tapped into his potential energy. With it, he wiped the floor with Buu's face, literally. Buu slid across the destroyed rubble. He sprung himself up with his hands and twisted around, planting a kick in the younger hybrid's face.

Gohan panted and stood from the rubble. He wiped the blood off of his cheek and onto his Piccolo-like gi. He smirked and jumped right back into the fight. Mirai pulled himself out of the rubble wearily and watched the fight from a distance. Every part of him hurt. "Jesus… I don't think I've ever been hit that hard," he mumbled to himself. He flinched and felt his jaw. Yeah, definitely broken. He watched Buu. How could something so rubbery and flexible hurt so much, though? Then again, rubber bands hurt. He watched Gohan fight circles around the pink monster.

He had really grown up since the last time Mirai saw him. He went from being someone who was in no way his older counterpart to being someone who was definitely his older counterpart. They didn't even grow up the same way. How could that have happened? Mirai thought back to the good old days before his Gohan had snapped, back when things were simple and happy. Gohan was always over, always playing with him, always helping his mother around the house. Then one night, his mother Bulma had insisted that Gohan should visit his own mother. "She's getting old, you know," Bulma had said. Gohan had mumbled something in response, but Mirai couldn't hear. He was supposed to still be asleep. It was too early in the morning for school. Gohan hadn't come to wake him up yet. "No she doesn't, Gohan. I promise. Go see her. You'll make her happy."

While Mirai was at school that day, Gohan went to see his mother. That night, he came home hysterical. Her cold, limp, mutilated body was cradled in his arms. "Car wreck… semi… it happened so fast… I'm sorry, Mommy, I'm so sorry…" was all Mirai could get out of the conversation before his mother yelling at him to get in bed. Mirai couldn't sleep that night. The expression on his big brother's face was too much for his young mind to relax on. Bulma soon sent Gohan to bed as well. It was four in the morning. Mirai paced around his room, weighing the pros and cons of going to Gohan's room that night. Before, they always ended up sleeping in the same bed. Whether it was a legitimate reason or a made-up excuse on Mirai's part.

Finally, he decided to go to Gohan's room and ask to spend the last few hours of the night with him, but upon arriving, he'd found it was too late.

Gohan had escaped through the window, only to be heard of through frightening tales of murder, torture, and anguish for the following year.

Mirai snapped out of his reverie as the alternate counterpart to the object of his memories slammed into his chest. He groaned painfully and sat up, blood running down his face and arms. Mirai gently pushed him off and wiped the blood that had dripped onto his own skin. "Gohan," Mirai called softly, his voice cracking. "Gohan, we need to fuse."

"Gohan!" Videl yelled and tried to approach, but Pan held her back.

Gohan coughed, more blood spilling, over his lips. "For the last time… I told you three to get out of here!" He glared at the two girls and the young god. The three looked at one another, then came to a uniform decision.

"And for the last time, we said no!" Pan shouted back. Gohan sighed, frustrated, and looked into the sky, where Buu smiled happily. He wiped what little blood that had escaped his body and waited patiently.

"Gohan," Mirai called again. "Give me an earring. We need to fuse." The two men climbed to their feet wearily. Gohan shook his head negatively.

"No… I can do this." Mirai gripped his shoulder firmly.

"Gohan," his voice was final, "Give. Me. The earring. We need to fuse. It's the only way." Gohan reached into his pocket and pulled the orbs out. They glinted in the sunlight, showing him his reflection. Scars lined his face. He looked exactly like Majunior. He looked over to the two girls standing nearby. That of his present and that of his future. If he fused with Mirai, he couldn't and wouldn't have either.

"I said _no_. You may have nothing to lose," he shot an angry glare at the purple-haired time traveler, "but I have everything to lose. I won't give it up. I can't…" his voice began to tremble as he reeled his arm back, "so don't ask me to do that!" He swung his arm, launching the earrings away, but a cold hand encircled its fingers around his own. Someone pressed against his back. Gohan stared at the hand. It was so clean, so smooth. Perfect, but cold. So cold. Dead.

"You have so much to learn," the voice was so familiar. Gohan turned his head to meet the cold eyes of his dead counterpart. Majunior smirked. "And guess what?" He thumped his halo, making a heavenly _ting_ sound. "I went to heaven." Gohan stared, amazed. Majunior's skin was smooth. No scars, no burns, no blemishes of any sort on his perfect surface. "Death is the Great Equalizer," he informed. "When you die, your scars will disappear, too. If you keep your body, anyway." The small smile on his face didn't fade.

Pan stumbled up to them, her large brown eyes locked on her father. "D-Daddy?" she mumbled. He hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead.

"Daddy has to leave one more time," he said softly, lovingly. "But he promises he'll be back." She nodded and smiled.

"I trust you." Videl took her hand and led her away. Majunior carefully took the earrings away from Gohan's stunned hand and held one out to Mirai. Understanding, Mirai took it and latched it onto his ear. Majunior smiled at his younger counterpart once more before latching his own on. The two men began to glow and finally became one.

-

TBC…

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	27. If Not For Me Then You'd Be Dead

Finesse

-

Gohan stumbled back and shielded his sensitive Saiyan eyes from the bright light emanating from the two other hybrids. A body, one smaller than his own, pressed against his chest. Dende, without a doubt. Two feminine hands gripped his wrist with surprising force. Videl, definitely. Long hair whipped against his bare shoulder on his other side. That's Pan, right. What did she think? How did she see it; two men whom she loved so dearly becoming one incredible, indestructible being?

The light ebbed and the winds died down, leaving the four Earthlings to open their eyes again. Gohan glanced down to Dende in front of him. To his left; Videl. Just as he imagined. To his right; Pan. Her eyes were wide; amazed. Mouth slightly open. She combed at her thin black hair numbly, pulling it back over her shoulder. Gohan didn't have to look to see that the earrings worked. Spectacularly. The two energies that had been present moments before collided into one, creating an energy that belittled even his father's. It was omnipotent.

He looked up quickly, half afraid to see what he would find. Indeed, upon seeing the well-known stranger, icicles pricked at his core. The stranger gazed at his own hands curiously; stretching his arm out, then coiling it back to his chest. Slowly, he looked up at the four Earthlings. Gohan's breath caught in his throat as the eyes landed on him. Piercing blue. Thin hair whipped at his cheeks and shoulders- thin like Mirai's, but short and jet black, like Majunior's. Mixed in were strands of vivid purple. His jaw and cheeks were sharp, like those of Majunior, but his nose, lips, and ears were narrow like Mirai's.

His body was god-like; perfectly sculpted. His muscles screamed, "Authority." His posture commanded nothing but excellence. He slid his icy eyes to the girl at Gohan's right and his eyes seemed to melt a little bit. Pan took half a step forward. The being took half a step back and shook his head. A strangled noise escaped Pan's throat, but she obeyed and stepped back. This person… what was she supposed to call him? Trunks? Daddy? Was her daddy still in there? Were they even related anymore?

This person had to recognize her. Half Daddy, half Mentor. Were they two separate beings sharing a body, or were their minds and souls fused; knitted together like some gritty horror movie? "Truhan," the being said coolly; clearly. His voice was smooth like velvet, a bittersweet mixture of Mirai's deep, angry vocals, frighteningly similar to his father's, and Majunior's forever playful tone, which was just as frighteningly similar to _his_ father's. They weren't the double voice that Goten and Trunks had when they performed the fusion dance. No, this person's voice was one. Clear. New. "Call me Truhan," he said.

Without waiting for a confirmation, Truhan looked over his shoulder at Buu. Yes, this person could kill Buu. And Buu knew it, too. He grinned weakly, attempting to seem undaunted in Truhan's godly presence. "I know what you're thinking, but I'm not going anywhere," the pink monster said as his skin began to bubble, "I still have lots of tricks up my sleeve, so you can't beat me. No one can beat me. I am Buu. So, don't think for a second that _you_ can kill _me_!" Truhan tilted his head to the side and rolled his eyes up to the darkening sky.

"You know, you have no idea how many people have said that before you. But they all died. Every. Single. One." He straightened himself again and stared Buu down. The pink monster was bubbling frantically now, black eyes wide and dodgy. His skin crawled with veins pumping blood and air moving through his pores. The Lookout trembled with the Earth under Buu's explosive power. Truhan turned back to the group of teenagers. "Gohan," the name was soft, "please take us to the place where you were trained recently. Buu's going to destroy Earth." Gohan blinked.

"H-how do you know-..?" His voice trailed off. Sucking in a deep sigh, he took both girls' hands and pulled them gently toward Truhan. Pan immediately latched on to the newer man and took on a far-away look. Truhan hugged her hesitantly. Gohan gently pushed his fingers against Truhan's bare arm. Nothing. No emotions. No pain. Sighing, Gohan held Videl's hand tightly and looked over Truhan's shoulder at Buu, who was laughing wickedly. Gohan clapped a hand on Dende's back. The green god pressed his own hand to Truhan's arm. He concentrated, looking for the right energy. Finally, the planet's steady, rhythmic energy found him and they were off.

Moving through space was never this fast. Somehow, it was easier finding the desolate place than finding Earth. Perhaps it was because Gohan knew what he was looking for this time. Before, when looking for Earth, he was searching for the loud pulse of the Human race. Little did he know, the Humans had been whittled down to one remaining survivor. At least the Planet of the Gods gave off its own energy, as if it were one large, living thing.

Behind them, Gohan felt the weak, strangled life force of his own home planet die away. He couldn't help but feel a little part of him die away with it, even as his feet touched immortal soil as they landed on their destination. To his side, Videl was trembling. Her knuckles were white and her eyes were wide. Gohan was sure that she'd been more traumatized in these past few days than she ever had before. He squeezed her hand gently and gave her a comforting smile.

The peace didn't last long. Buu copied Gohan's Instant Transmission flawlessly and followed them through space, all the way to the Planet of the Gods. He grinned happily. "What was the point of that?!" Gohan growled, "He'll just blow this planet up, too!" Truhan glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

"No he won't. He wants to play. Look at him." Indeed, Buu was squirming about and watching them with large, excited eyes. "Then we'll play." Truhan clenched his fists and concentrated. The world in his eyes exploded in vivid colors, enhancing his sight a million times over. Tiny details were painfully clear. Energy coursed through him, from the tips of his toes to the ends of his hair.

Gohan pulled Pan away and pushed her and the other two Earthlings to a safe distance. Gohan could feel the fused Saiyan's energy scale rapidly. Winds kicked up, throwing rock and branch alike around wildly. He shielded the other three teens protectively. Videl buried her face in the crook of his neck and peeked out into the high winds, where Truhan and Buu stood facing one another. She squinted her eyes. Truhan looked… different. His muscle mass was larger, as to be expected with a Super Saiyan transformation, but it lacked the golden yellow that was usually present. His hair was longer, wilder, but still black and purple. It spilled over his shoulders and ended at his chest, which was half-covered in a thick layer of black and purple fur. Behind him, a tail twitched and swayed energetically.

"Let's go, Buu," Truhan said coolly. Videl clutched her lover tighter as the two powerful beings went head-to-head. Gohan gave a comforting squeeze back. He pulled her down, blocking her vision of the fight. He didn't have to see Truhan to know that he was winning. Buu's power was child's play compared to this. Videl wrapped an arm around Pan's shoulders and pulled her into the small huddle of completely different species of teenagers. Obediently, she curled into Gohan's protective form as well.

"Hey! _Heeeey_!" Baba screeched. Truhan stopped attempting to rip Buu's antennae off and Buu stopped gnawing on Truhan's arm. They both looked up, as did the teenagers nearby. Baba sighed and crossed her arms, settling back on her ball. "Finally! God, I've been yelling at you a whole minute!" Buu and Truhan glanced at each other. "What the hell have you two done?! Look at you! Majunior! I know you're in there. How much magic do you think I have? How long do you think I can keep you here?

"Listen, when I told you Gohan was going to do something stupid, I didn't mean for you to run over here and do something stupider! Fusing with a live person was a bad, bad idea. You're taking double the energy- quadruple since you transformed into a stinking ape-person. I can't keep you here. You have to come back to the Other World. And what's worse… look above your head," she pointed to a faint golden ring floating above Truhan's head. His eyes widened. "You're dead, Gohan. You can't fuse with a live person and expect everything to be okay. Your dead form is feeding off of Trunks's life energy, and it's running out. Fast.

"I can separate you, but I'm afraid you'll both be dead." Baba gained a serious expression. Truhan bit his lip and looked down at Buu, who was still digging his fangs into Truhan's arm. The creature was battered and bruised, even as he snarled like an angry dog. Only a little longer… Just a little longer and Buu could be dead. "If you don't let me separate you, you'll both cease to exist, even in the Other World. Even the dragon balls won't be able to bring you back." Truhan trembled, weighing the pros and cons. On the pro side, Buu would be dead and humanity could continue to thrive. All the remaining party would have to do would be to travel to Namek and use Porunga's balls to wish Earth back to life. All would be well. On the con side… Truhan looked over to Pan. Her eyes were shiny; wet.

That did it. "Okay," Truhan agreed and slung Buu away. The pink monster slid across the ground and came to a stop in the grass. He glared up at Truhan angrily, but the fused Saiyan didn't pay attention. "Separate me." Baba nodded solemnly and held up her hand. With a short chant and burst of light, Mirai and Majunior were standing back-to-back, once again separate. The earrings that had bound them together shattered and turned to dust before blowing away in the wind.

Mirai sighed and leaned against his old friend's back. Future Gohan sighed also and looked up at the twin halos floating above their heads. "I'm sorry," he apologized softly. Mirai chuckled and shook his head.

"Hey," Gohan greeted softly and approached them, "Don't worry. I can handle it." Both older hybrids looked at him warily. Gohan knitted his eyebrows together and nodded. "I can handle it. I know now that… sometimes some things are more important than my own happiness," he looked down at Videl, who met his eyes. "I can beat him. Don't worry about that."

Majunior lowered his gaze and chewed on his lip warily. "Don't do that, Daddy!" Pan scolded, her voice shaking. "Y-you're gonna ruin your lip. It'll get all infected and-and it'll fall off." She forced a weak smile, recalling her father's outrageous, over exaggerated scolding from her childhood. Majunior smiled and embraced her, letting her choke and sniffle into his shirt.

"No more cryin'," Majunior shushed her, "You're a big girl now, doing big girl things. Protect your mother, 'cause your old dad sure can't do it," Majunior smirked playfully at Gohan, who smiled back and squeezed Videl's hand. "They need you right now more than ever. After all this is over, we'll go home and I'll make you a nice breakfast for dinner." Pan nodded and pulled away. She looked up at Mirai. The purple-haired man clenched his fist and held it up, mock-threateningly. Pan smiled and copied the action, pushing her knuckles against his. He smiled and nodded.

After one last heart-felt goodbye, the two time traveling heroes returned to the land of the dead.

-

TBC…

Truhan. I know, silly name (and what you say when you want some Trunks-on-Gohan action). But it sounds WAY better than "Gohunks."

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	28. I Picked You Up

Finesse

-

"Close your eyes. You can watch your friends from here," Baba promised as she left a very angry couple of hybrids in a perfect heaven to call their own. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Don't blame me for your actions. I could only keep Goku on Earth for twenty-four hours. I can't keep two half-Saiyans that go through energy like water on mortal soil for very long. You're lucky I stopped you when I did, or there would be even more upset faces than yours right now."

Majunior bit his lip and closed his eyes. Behind his lids, he could see his daughter protecting Videl and Dende dutifully as the battle between Gohan and Buu raged on. He could hear their voices; their screams… even their breathing. He could almost feel someone's hand on his shoulder.

His heart jerked and his eyes flew open. Baba was staring off behind him, mouth slightly agape. Majunior turned to Mirai slowly. The purple haired fighter moved his eyes farther, to the person standing just behind Majunior. He grinned and slid his happy crystal blues back to his friend. "Look behind you." Obediently, he turned and gazed up at a distantly familiar face.

Coal black eyes, spiky hair that defied gravity, orange fighting uniform… Majunior sighed with relief. "Oh, Goku, you scared me." Goku raised an eyebrow, confused.

"How could I have scared you, son?" he asked, small smile playing on his lips. Majunior shrugged.

"I… I was watching the fight. I guess I didn't expect you to pop out of nowhere." Goku grinned.

"Cool little ability, isn't it? We've been keeping an eye on you and Trunks since we died."

Majunior smiled and peeked around the man. As to be expected, the rest of the dead Z crew waited- Yamucha, Piccolo, Krillen, Bulma, Ox King, and even his own "alternate" mother.

"I-I'm sorry, guys. I should have helped you more, rather than just standing there. I shouldn't have let you just die," Majunior apologized. The others looked around, confused.

"You did all you could, Gohan. No worries. Besides, it's kind of nice here. No crime, no taxes… y'know, it's Heaven," Krillen grinned and rubbed the back of his head. Majunior cocked his head to the side. Krillen's head was bald and shiny, just as it was years ago at the Cell Games.

"Hey, Krillen, why did you cut your hair?" The monk blinked.

"Well, it's easier to fight this way."

Nodding, Majunior looked back up at Goku, who was watching him with a far-away look in his eyes. "Are you feeling alright, Goku?" he asked. Goku shook his head, as if to erase memories, and nodded. Mirai elbowed him sharply in the ribs. His eyes were closed tightly, a pained expression on his face. Half fearing what he would find, Majunior closed his own eyes and concentrated on his alternate counterpart.

On the Planet of the Gods, Buu fused his hands together and slammed Gohan back down to the ground. The hybrid landed in the torn ground roughly, leaving yet another crater in the planet's face. Buu grinned and changed his speed, glancing over to the three Earthlings watching helplessly from the soft grass. His grin widened, making the skin around his lips wrinkle. He gathered energy in the palm of his hand. Without making second thoughts, he shot the energy at the group.

Gohan shouted and jumped up. He ignored the pain that shot up through his legs as he climbed up the crater wall, but by the time he reached the top, it was too late. Pan instinctively put herself between the blast and Videl and Dende just before it reached them. She clenched her eyes shut and gritted her teeth, not making a sound, as the lightning-hot energy dug into her flesh. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to her, but in reality was only a few seconds, the barrage of power let up. Pan could feel her skin twitch painfully, but she was numb. She opened her eyes and felt her heart jump at the fact that her vision was nearly gone.

Blurs of color was all she could see. In front of her, in the distance, she saw a flash of dark purple. That was Gohan. She knew that shade of purple fighting uniform anywhere. In the sky was a shock of pink. Buu. She faintly heard voices. Feminine, frantic. That's Videl. Her mother. Warm hands touched her back and energy filled her, but it didn't cure the warmth of the blood she was sure that was pouring out of her exposed muscle. She looked down. Yep. Her clothes were missing, burnt off, just like the skin that had been there moments before as well. Burned muscle twitched against the cool air.

Pan could almost imagine how she looked. Perhaps like one of those scientific, anatomically correct mannequins that high school science teachers often had standing in their classrooms. The flash of purple was in front of her now, speaking to her. His voice was soft, melodic. Next to her, another comforting voice was heard. Pan looked down and noticed another pair of soft hands holding her up. Why? Farther down, Pan noticed she was missing a limb. No, wait, that leg had been gone for quite a while. The metallic replacement was what was gone this time.

How did this seem so familiar? Distant memories from her childhood came back. That same soft, melodic voice matched the one in her mind. "Daddy…" Pan whispered. Something euphoric washed over her body, making her heart calm and muscles relax. She smiled and leaned on Videl. She felt suddenly sleepy. Peaceful. No pain, no sadness, no bad memories. "Daddy…" she whispered again. The soft, melodic voice of the purple flash and the comforting one of that of her teenage mother slowed and became mixed in with one another. As her vision darkened to black, she allowed sleep to take her.

"Pan! Pan! No… Oh, God, Pan!!" Gohan took the mangled corpse out of Videl's arms and laid her softly on the grass. Dende pushed more energy into her, but it did no good.

"I can't… she's gone, Gohan. I can't bring her back… I'm so sorry…" Gohan shook his head and cradled the body close. Videl wrapped her arms around his shaking shoulders. She laid her head on her dead classmate's, not caring if the blood rubbed off on her own skin and hair. Dende looked on, a pained expression crossing his features as he watched his childhood friend sob. Gohan hadn't cried like this since his father died at the Cell Games. The deep, choking sobs sounded so foreign, especially since they were coming out of a full grown man. That made it worse, Dende thought, since you don't often see a man cry. Dende kicked himself mentally. If only he'd reacted sooner… then Pan might still be alive.

"Buu… I'm going to kill him… and it's going to be worse than what he's done to her…" Gohan looked down at the unrecognizable girl in his arms. "He's going to feel true wrath…" Gohan watched as Pan's mangled body faded slowly, disappearing into thin air. His arms felt so empty. "And I know exactly how to do it. Dende, I need your help."

Dende nodded eagerly. "I'll do anything," he said as he looked up into the sky at the pink demon. "Just tell me what I should do."

Gohan looked over to Videl and stroked her hair gently. "I need you to help me. The people of Earth won't listen to me, but they'll listen to you." Videl nodded once, determined.

"I'll say whatever you want me to say."

Gohan nodded back. "Dende, connect me to the Supreme Kai in the Other World. I need to talk to him."

-

Goku held on to Majunior tightly, desperately, as the hybrid shook Baba angrily. "Send me back! Right now!"

"I-I-I can-n't!" Baba said, but as many times as she repeated it, it didn't seem to get through to him.

Mirai held on to Majunior's torso, attempting to get Majunior's arms back down. "Gohan! You can't help anymore! She's already gone- you can't save her anyway! Please stop this!" he pleaded, but his words fell on deaf, wrathful ears.

"I'm going to murder that beast in cold blood with my own two hands! He's going to die slowly and painfully!"

"You can't kill him if you can't get there!"

"Who says I need magic?! Just send me to that planet!"

"Your spirit will wither away if there's no magic protecting it!"

"I have a body!"

"That doesn't mean nothin'!"

"C'mon, Gohan, cut it out!"

"Daddy?" The foursome stopped screaming and squirming and stood cold. The golden gates closed slowly behind her and a shorter, purple-skinned god. Pan smiled, amused at the scene before her. Her father holding a small wrinkled woman by the neck, Trunks clinging to his ribcage, and Goku's arm wrapped around her father's shoulders. She stepped forward, marveling at the soft ground and pleasantly pink sky with golden clouds. "It's so peaceful here."

"Pan!" Majunior shouted and dropped Baba, who landed roughly on her ball. Majunior pushed Mirai and Goku away effortlessly and scooped his daughter up. Pan laughed and hugged her father back tightly, wrapping her legs around his waist as he twirled her and himself around in circles. Shin smiled and crossed his arms.

"Thank you, Supreme Kai," the purple god mumbled playfully. Majunior stopped swirling his little girl around and grinned down at him.

"Thanks, Shin!" he shouted. The Supreme Kai shook his head and smiled wider. Majunior set Pan back down on her feet and knelt down. He curled his fingers under her right pant leg and, with a swift pull upward, grinned at what he saw. Pan's eyes doubled in size. She fell and landed on her bottom, pulling her leg up to her chest, warm flesh and all.

"My leg! It's back! My leg… my leg… It feels so… weird," she giggled happily.

Bulma walked up to her and smirked, crossing her arms. "I'm glad that mechanical one lasted you as long as it did," she said. Pan grinned and hopped up, scooping the blue-haired genius up in her arms.

A purple hand landed on his shoulder. Majunior looked back up at the Supreme Kai, who had suddenly taken on a more serious expression. "I didn't come here to deliver your daughter, Gohan. Something very serious needs your attention." He smiled, "You really shouldn't be mucking around with the alternate timeline, but how would you like to help them out one more time? I'll allow you to go to mortal soil, but only to do as I am about to tell you." Majunior nodded feverishly. "Alright, then. Gohan contacted me through the God of Earth. He says he needs you to go to Namek and gather the dragonballs. There, he needs you to call on Porunga and make two wishes.

"One wish is to bring Planet Earth back to existence. The second wish is to bring everyone killed by Buu back to life. By doing this, Gohan can destroy Buu with the Spirit Bomb." Majunior stood abruptly.

"I'll do it," he confirmed. Supreme Kai smiled and nodded.

"I knew you would."

"Let me come, too," Goku pleaded. He stepped up to the time traveling hybrid and held out his hand. "I can take you to Namek, if the Supreme Kai will let me," he glanced at the purple-skinned god, who smiled knowingly back. Majunior nodded and took his counterpart's father's hand. Majunior turned back to Pan and smiled, watching her hug Chichi and the Ox King. She looked so happy and so beautiful.

In the blink of an eye, they were gone.

-

The distantly familiar smell of Namekian air filled his lungs. He recognized the grass, sky, and gravitational pull on his body before his mind registered where he was, exactly. Memories from his past, back in the good old days, came back to him. He couldn't help but smile. "Hey! We've been expecting you. Long time no see, huh? Goku and Gohan!" The elder Namekian exclaimed happily. "Yeah, we know what you came here for. We've prepared." The other green-skinned inhabitants shouted happily and held the large orange orbs up one-by-one.

"Hey, thanks!" Goku said happily. Th elder nodded and smiled knowingly. The Namekians placed the balls in a neat circle and gave the elder room. He thrust his hands forward and chanted the secret password that released the impressive dragon. The green sky darkened to pitch black. The balls glowed, pulsing like a heartbeat. Goku shielded Majunior with one arm as the dragon came bursting forth, growing in the air. The light dimmed, revealing Porunga.

Majunior blinked, "I'll never get used to this."

The elder smiled and waited patiently. "What are your wishes?"

"Right. Our first wish is that the planet Earth be restored to life." The elder translated the wish in his own language. Porunga help his fingers up in the 'okay' sign. With an eerie glow of his red eyes, the wish was granted. "Second wish is that all the people who were murdered since Buu hatched from his egg to be brought back to life." The elder translated the wish. Majunior sighed in relief when the dragon said the wish had been granted. "Good… that means Trunks was brought back, too. Alright, Shin! Gohan's wishes are done!"

-

Gohan smiled as Supreme Kai confirmed the granted wishes in his mind. "Great!" he replied. He nodded to Dende. "Dende, now please connect us to every Earthling alive on Earth right now. Videl, I need you to ask them to offer their energy to the cause of destroying Buu by putting their hands in the air. It will sound ridiculous, so you'll have to confirm that it is definitely not a dream." Videl and Dende nodded. Gohan nodded back and stood.

"Wait," Videl said and grabbed the collar of his purple fighting uniform. She pulled him down to her height and pressed her lips against his. They pulled away shortly after, both panting with their eyes wide. Videl smiled, "For good luck." Gohan grinned and kissed her again before blasting off into the air after Buu.

"Finally," Buu growled with a sadistic smile on his face. "I was wondering how long you'd be crying over that stupid little girl." Gohan smirked.

"She's alive." Buu's eyes widened and he paused. Gohan flipped and landed a hard kick in Buu's neck, making it give a sickening crack and sending the pink monster down to the ground. With Buu down, Gohan threw his arms into the air and nodded at Videl and Dende.

It was time for this monster to die.

-

TBC…

Yep, the blast took Pan's skin off and really messed up her eyes. Hell, it messed up the entire front of her body. She was unrecognizable, yet still alive. For a little while, anyway. When I was writing it, I kept thinking of that "Hiroshima Atomic Bomb cartoon" that you can find on Youtube. I kept trying to make it look like that, but I'm not sure if it came out quite right. I also don't recommend watching that cartoon (unless you have a heart of stone, like mine).

Reviews = Next Chapter

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	29. And Put You Back

Finesse

-

Gohan's arms trembled. 'I'm not sure how to do this,' he thought, watching the ground carefully. 'It can't be too complicated though, right?' He bit his lip and looked up at the empty sky. "Gohan!" someone called from the ground. "Listen, to make a Spirit Bomb, you need to pull your energy into you instead of out of you. Doing that creates a vacuum, so anyone who willingly offers it to you will have the energy sucked out of them." Gohan blinked and glanced back down to the ground where his father was cramming Buu's head into the grass.

"D-Dad! You're here! Y-you're here?!" Gohan exclaimed. Goku grinned and nodded. "I thought… I thought you couldn't come back without Baba?"

"Technically, I'm not supposed to, but I managed to sneak out from under King Yemma and transmit myself here!" Goku explained as he powered up and pulled on Buu like a rubber band. The monster growled and ripped himself away, delivering a hard kick to Goku's face. Gohan gasped and looked over to Dende, who, in turn, nodded back to him.

"Okay, Videl, now! Convince them this wasn't a dream. Explain to them this is real and they need to save their future from destruction again. Tell them to put their hands in the air and offer their energy to the cause!"

Videl nodded and clapped a hand on Dende's back. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Finally, she felt the extraordinary sense of connection. "People of Earth! Listen to me. My name is Videl Satan, and I'm contacting you via telepathy to give you very important news regarding some of the past events. You may remember a large pink monster that ate people and a little green creature that commanded the whereabouts of three people named Majunior, Gohan, and Pan. You may remember dying. You may think it was a dream.

"It was _not_ a dream. I'm contacting you from another planet, one that Buu is being fought on right now. I warn you: If Buu is not defeated right here, right now, he _will_ return to Earth and destroy all of you, slowly and painfully. I beg of you, help us. I need you to raise your arms into the air and offer your energy to the cause of Buu's death. Please, everyone, offer it. You will feel tired, but it will pass. I'm begging you, help us defeat Buu."

-

Majunior smiled as Videl's words echoed through his head. He looked up to the Namekian sky, green as the grass on his home planet. A few feet away, Goku watched the hybrid silently. His face was scarless, perfect, just as it was in his childhood. His hair was radiant in the sunlight, eyes sparkling. He looked happy. "That's your girl, right, Gohan?" Goku asked softly. Majunior laughed and shook his head.

"Nah, Goku, you know that. That's your son's girl. Videl. Granted… I did have a Videl of my own, once. She died, though…" Majunior smiled again and looked over his shoulder at the full-blooded Saiyan. Goku cocked an eyebrow, then smiled back.

"You miss her?"

"All the time."

_Please! People of Earth! If you value your lives… your children's lives… your lover's, your parent's, your friend's, your sibling's lives… raise your arms! Offer your energy! Please!_

Goku gazed at the halo shimmering over Majunior's head. "If you weren't dead then you could offer your energy to them."

Majunior shook his head and looked down. "If I'd lived, then Buu would have absorbed me, anyway. There would be no spirit bomb to contribute to."

"You've grown up a lot since the last time I saw you," Goku said softly, fondly. Majunior blinked and looked back up at Goku.

"What are you talking about…?"

-

On Earth, a blonde haired, school-going teenager scaled the stoop to a trashy boarding house in the middle of Satan City. He walked up to the door and held his finger over the buzzer, hesitating. 'Should I?' he wondered. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Gohan could do it," he whispered. Eyes still closed, he mashed the buzzer.

A woman's voice came over the speaker. "What?!" she exclaimed before going into a coughing fit. "Who is it?" Her voice was considerably sweeter. He took another deep breath.

"…Mother?"

The speaker was silent. After a moment, the front door clicked open, and Sharpner entered.

Inside the boarding house was just as he remembered. Peeling green paint on the walls, dark brown carpet that reeked of cat urine, dishes piled high in the sink… He shuddered. Footsteps stomped down the stairs, turning into a young blonde boy. His bright brown eyes inspected Sharpner closely. He couldn't have been any older than eight. "Hi," he greeted.

"Hello," Sharpner replied, his voice suddenly soft and scratchy. "Is your name Marker?" The boy blushed and rolled his eyes.

"Aw, call me Mark. Who're you?"

"Sharpner," he replied. "I'm your…" his voice trailed off as he stared behind Mark. In the archway to the kitchen stood his mother, hand on her hip and scowl set deep in her face. Her once brilliant red hair was now tinted gray. Her wrinkles were evident of her age. Small brown eyes pierced into his own. She wore no makeup, like in his memories and his childhood fantasies of her being kind to him again. She had clearly gained weight; her stomach and lovehandles muffin topping over too-tight jeans.

"What do you want?" she asked in a strangled voice, most likely due to her years of smoking. Sharpner took in a deep breath.

_Please… please, raise your hands! We need more energy! There's not a lot of time!_

He let the breath out and stared directly into his mother's eyes. "After all the years you starved me, abused me, neglected me, insulted me, and made me feel worthless and unloved and stupid, I still love you…" he stared at her, eyes narrowed without anger. His mood was more or less amazed; confused by his own heart. "But I didn't come here to help you or save you. I came here for my little brother. To save my little brother." He looked down at Mark, whose eyes were wide with awe.

"M-my brother?" he asked softly. Sharpner nodded. "But… you don't look or seem like anything Mommy has ever told me about you." Sharpner smiled and placed a gentle hand on the boy's head. He lifted his other hand into the air. Immediately, his energy bubbled out of him, making him collapse onto the dirty floor.

-

Gohan smiled as more and more energy popped into the growing bomb above his head. "More! We need more energy!" his father below shouted. Videl immediately repeated it to those who could hear. The bomb grew more, becoming bright as day. Energy swirled around them, waiting to fill the balloon. Gohan's smile turned into a grin.

"It's working!"

-

Erasa sighed and collapsed on her couch. Seven kids in one household was too much. "Going to work, Erasa!" her mother called as she adjusted her tight, leather mini-skirt. "Put the twins down for a nap and remember to give Rubber his bath!" Erasa held her head and tried to ignore the dog named Rubber barking in her ear. In another room, a baby began to cry. "Oh, and warm up some milk for your new sister. Gosh, we gotta pick out a name for her, don't we?"

The door slammed shut, only making the baby cry louder. A toddler tugged on Erasa's arm. "Sissy, who's that lady talkin'?" he asked. Erasa looked up and stared at him.

"Lady? You hear voices?"

"Yeah! Lis'sen…"

_Almost! Good work, everyone! Just a little more! Raise your arms! Help us defeat Buu before Buu defeats us!_

Erasa gasped. "That's Videl!" she exclaimed. "But… but how?" The baby's cries grew even louder. Two little boys romped into the room. One held an enormous bug over his brother's head. The little victim squealed and lept behind his older sister.

"Sissy! He's gonna turn me into a ghost!" the boy cried. His twin leaned over Erasa's shoulder and held the bug over his brother's head threateningly. Erasa sighed, frustrated. Too many children, not enough parents. Her mother's job was not one to be proud of. Unless, of course, you're a nymphomaniac. She looked around their shanty house, barely holding up under all the screaming and crying her little siblings were doing. How could her mother just walk out like that and leave her yet again to fill the role as "Mommy?"

She never did get to be a child. Being a product of rape and a survivor of abortion, Erasa didn't have a lot of support from her mother and unknown father. She never got the attention she needed as a youngster, and certainly not as a young teen. So, instead, Erasa sought the attention of others. Others that could make her feel welcome, safe. Others that were warm and kind and stable, like Videl. Erasa held her head, feeling the tears slip down her cheeks. But Videl was leaving her, too. Just like her mother. Just like her father. Just like everyone else who she had ever known.

_Raise your arms!_ Videl screamed inside Erasa's head. Obediently, she helped her friend out. Her energy bubbled through her arms and left her body, leaving her body in a state of unconsciousness.

-

"Good! Now, Gohan, throw it!" Goku shouted over Buu's angry screams.

"Get out of the way!" Gohan shouted back. Goku shook his head and held Buu up for full impact. "No, I'm not destroying you, too!" Buu grinned and took the moment of hesitation to swing around and land a hard punch in Goku's face. The Saiyan went flying, weakened already by his battle with Buu. He turned back to Gohan and held his hands up, forming a pink ball of energy.

"Bye-bye…" Buu sang and aimed the energy at Gohan's chest. Before he could fire it, however, a boot planted itself into his face. He fell to the ground, stunned. Videl wiped the sweat from her forehead and grabbed Goku's shoulders, dragging him away.

"Peek-a-boo," she grumbled as she sidestepped with Goku's body in her arms. Up above, Gohan grinned and pulled the bomb down as soon as Videl was far enough away. Buu pulled himself to his knees and shook his head, recovering from the shock. A little too late, he looked back up into the sky, only to see the brightest and last light he'd ever see in his life.

-

"Uh… ahem. There's one more wish… what is it?" Porunga asked, clearing his mighty throat in an attempt to get their attention. "Tell me now."

Goku smiled and looked up to the dragon, "My last wish is that my son and alternate counterpart be brought back to life." Majunior stared at Goku dumbly.

"Goku, my dad died of a disease, remember? He can't be brought back with the…" his voice trailed off as he watched his own halo disappear. With wide eyes, he looked back at Goku.

"Your wish has been granted. Farewell." The dragon boomed and split into seven balls again.

Goku stepped forward, halo still shining above his head. "It's not time for you to die, son," he placed two hands on Majunior's shoulders. "I know you miss Videl, but your daughter still needs you. Trunks still needs you. They all do. It's just not your time." Majunior trembled, eyes flooding.

"D-D-D…" Goku pulled his boy into his arms and held him there. Majunior didn't sob, but instead trembled. Putting two fingers to his forehead, Goku returned them to the Other World- their heaven. Majunior wrapped his arms around his father's chest. It once seemed so large… he remembered being unable to fit his arms all the way around once. But now, Goku was smaller than he was. This thought baffled the hybrid.

However, his father smelled just like he remembered. Cedar. So comforting. He sighed in relief and buried his head in Goku's shoulder.

"Gohan," a soft, feminine voice called from behind. Majunior pulled away and looked over his shoulder, down at the tiny, frail old woman he once knew. "Oh, my baby… I've missed you so much… and I'll miss you even more now…" she rushed forward and clung to Majunior's neck, crying. "Oh… you're washing behind your ears, aren't you? And you're brushing your teeth and hair every day… are you studying? You know your education is everything. Oh, oh, oh…" Majunior pulled away and held Chichi at arm's length.

"M-Mama… you're not… mad?" he asked, voice high and soft. Chichi looked at him like he'd asked her a puzzling question.

"No, baby, why would I be angry with you?" A slow smile crept onto Majunior's face and he hugged his mother back. Behind her stood every other member of the original timeline's Z Fighters, including Bulma.

"Hey, Trunks and Panny already left," the blue-haired genius informed, "and we all got hugs from them. Now it's your turn. C'mon, bend over… you're too tall!" she scolded as she stood on her toes and wrapped her slender arms around his neck.

"Nah, you're just short," he retorted playfully. She grinned and punched him on the arm, only to end up being the one in pain. After giving a hug to the others, Majunior was radiant with happiness. His old friends and family forgave him. They loved him. They missed him. They thought about him and watched over him. He scanned his eyes over each face. He was only missing Piccolo and Vegeta, though he was sure those two hell-dwellers wouldn't have hugged him anyway.

"I can show ya how to get to Hell the next time ya die. Don't worry, I know a way out," Goku promised with a grin.

"See you soon!" Krillen shouted. Majunior stumbled. "Oh… no! No, I don't know the next time you'll die! You know… it's a goodbye."

The time traveler stepped up to the Supreme Kai, who was leaning against the golden gates. "Time to go home," he said. The Supreme Kai smiled and nodded. He placed a hand gently on Majunior's shoulder. Before leaving, Majunior glanced over his dead family and friends for the last time. However, the last face caught his attention.

Videl- _his_ Videl- opened her periwinkle blue eyes and looked into his chocolate orbs. Her expression was stoic, silent. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest and her head was bent forward, despondent. "Vi-Videl…" Majunior mumbled softly. He held his hand out to her. Slowly, she lifted her head and smiled.

"I love you," she said, watching him disappear into thin air. She lowered her head again and stared at the perfect grass. "And I'm waiting, just like I promised."

-

After retrieving the celebrating quartet from the Planet of the Gods, Majunior and the others returned to a more peaceful Earth. The sky above Kami's Lookout was just as they left it- splattered with orange and yellow and pink, darkening to purple as the colors neared the ground. Families reunited and lovers kissed- even Bulma and Vegeta. Trunks blushed and hid behind his older counterpart, who just couldn't help but blush as well. Parents. Deep down, however, he smiled.

Father and daughter hugged, finally happy to see the nightmare had ended. The others marveled over her new leg, a gift from the gods above for her loving sacrifice. "Daddy! What do you think about me wearing short shorts? You know, like… like the kind that are pretty much just for show because they're so short that they might as well be underwear and-" She wasn't able to finish her ramble before being cut of by three solid "no's." She crossed her arms and pouted, glaring at her father and two future parents.

Gohan and Videl glanced at one another, happy but shy. Pan was their daughter, they knew. They loved Pan and they wanted her for themselves, but the pressure of when to make it happen and how and why and where… it was hard, but they were sure they could pass it, even as they laced their fingers together and smiled at each other.

"Gohan," a stern voice called his name. Gohan blinked and looked up at his father, who had a very serious expression. "Come here. Now." Gohan knitted his eyebrows together and stepped forward hesitantly. Goku watched his boy approach cautiously. His face was scarred in the same manner as Majunior's once was; long horizontal scar on one side, vertical one on the other. Numerous scars and burns littered his skin below his head, proving that he was, indeed, a fighter. One bundle of scars was missing, though. Ones on his forearm. The self-inflicted scars that Majunior had once had were not present on this teen.

Once Gohan was close enough, Goku calmly reached out and took his arm. He hugged his boy tightly, as if he'd never see him again. "I'm sorry, Gohan," he whispered, "for making you grow up so fast. I'm sorry I never gave you a proper goodbye or spent more time with you as a child. I wish I could have seen you; protected you from these things that have happened… things that shouldn't. I wish I could be your hero again. I love you, and I wish I could prove it to you."

The hybrid stared over his father's shoulder numbly. His father, Goku Son, was apologizing? For what? For being a hero? He may not have been Gohan's ideal role model, but he was the hero to millions of other people's dreams. If his father had never crash-landed on Earth, there would be no future for anyone. It was Goku's presence that made a difference in every human's life. Hell, it even made a difference to the Saiyans, Namekians, and dozens of other races' lives, too. So, maybe Goku wasn't Gohan's ideal view of a father figure, but he certainly was a hero. Recalling his own words from before Majunior and Mirai left for the other world, he realized a very important similarity.

He was his father's son.

"I love you, too, Dad," Gohan mumbled and hugged his father back.

Gohan pulled away, one arm still around his father's shoulder. Majunior took a yellow capsule from Mirai's hand. Gohan forced a weak smile, "Mage! You're staying, aren't you?" he asked, watching as Majunior popped the button on the tip of the capsule and threw it on the ground. It burst into a cloud of yellow smoke, revealing a time machine.

"'Fraid not, Re-run," he replied softly, eyes masked by the shadowing of 'twilight at the top of the world.'

Gohan's eyes widened and he stepped up to his counterpart, "But-but what about school? Your students? Pan's enrollment…? And what if I need you?!"

"Gohan." Majunior dipped his fingers into the red cloth belt around his waist. "We're not staying, but…" he pulled a little piece of paper out. A photo, "maybe we'll meet again someday, you and I. We'll talk about life and the world then. From here on out, I don't know what's going to happen, and… that's scary." He offered the little photo to his younger counterpart, who took it gently. Majunior tossed his head to the side in order to throw his bangs out of his face. He smiled, despite the water gathering in his eyes. "My show is over. The stage is yours."

Gohan's own eyes began to water. He trembled as he watched Mirai, Pan, and Majunior climb into the time machine. Gohan looked down at the little photo. After realizing what it was, he began to tremble. The long lost photo of himself and Videl from the original timeline trembled with his hand. On the back, Videl's suddenly so familiar handwriting met his eyes, "I love you, Gohan. Love, Videl."

Before closing the glass dome hatch, Majunior looked back down at the timeline he'd worked so hard to save. "Hey. I know you can do it. I love you. I'm so proud of you." By the time the familiar words registered in Gohan's head, the time travelers were already gone.

-

TBC…

One more chapter, guys!

Reviews = **LAST CHAPTER.**

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	30. On Solid Ground

Finesse

-

Gohan grinned and rubbed the back of his head.

"Come on, Gohan!"

"Yeah, bud, it's your turn!"

"You did it a lot as a kid!"

He cocked his eyebrow at his mother. "Yeah, when I was a _kid_. I'm twenty-eight now!" he informed. Two tiny hands grabbed his larger one. He looked down at the little black-haired girl to his right.

"C'mon, Daddy! I wanna hear you sing!" she said in the voice she always used to make the hybrid do something. He visibly hesitated, trying to keep from making eye contact with the girl's matching chocolate orbs. "Pleeease?" she pleaded. Defeated, he sighed and smiled.

"Okay, Panny." He ruffled her hair playfully, making her grin. Videl rolled her eyes and gave him a knowing smile. He smiled back, "Oh, come on. Don't tell me you don't fall for that." He couldn't believe it. After all that the couple had been through, this beautiful, young, now incredibly famous (thanks to her involvement in the defeat of Buu) woman agreed to be his wife. Him, a low-class Saiyan, low-class human. He glanced down at Pan.

And they made something so beautiful together.

"I'm a stronger woman than you are, apparently," Videl answered playfully and shooed him onto the little stage in the garden of Capsule Corporation. Gohan scooped up the karaoke microphone and hit the "random" button on the operator. The other Z Fighters watched eagerly as the machine spun the songs before slowly deciding on one. Gohan took a deep breath as the notes of a guitar sounded out of the speakers.

"Well, I took a walk around the world to ease my troubled mind. I left my body lying somewhere in the sands of time. I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon. I feel there's nothing I can do, yeah…" He paused to let the music play. He looked out to the crowd of faces of friends he knew so well. He let his eyes settle on his wife and daughter. "I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon. After all, I knew it had to be something to do with you. I really don't mind what happens now and then, as long as you'll be my friend at the end." The music built up, "If I go crazy, then will you still call me Superman? If I'm alive and well, will you be there holding my hand? I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might, Kryptonite." The music slowed again.

As it slowed, Gohan furrowed his eyebrows. An unknown woman tapped Videl on her shoulder, gaining her attention. Videl's eyes widened and she hugged the woman quickly. The woman adjusted the hood over her head, masking her face in a blanket of shadow. She tilted her head down to little Pan, who was watching her daddy with large, excited eyes. "You called me strong, you called me weak, but still your secrets I will keep. You took for granted all the times I never let you down. You stumbled in and bumped your head. If not for me, then you'd be dead. I picked you up and put you back on solid ground."

The woman handed Videl a black notebook, one regularly used by school-going students. Gohan could just barely see the distantly familiar messy scrawl on the front. _Pavisse_ "If I go crazy, then will you still call me Superman? If I'm alive and well, will you be there, holding my hand? I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might, Kryptonite…" his voice trailed off as the woman smiled and looked up at the stage Their eyes met. Hers were shiny and so familiar. Chocolate brown.

His voice was quiet, "If I go crazy, then will you still call me Superman? If I'm alive and well, will you be there, holding my hand? I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might, Kryptonite." The woman grinned. It was all so familiar. Gohan repeated the chorus once more, louder, pondering the woman's identity. Videl turned back to him, eyes also shiny with tears.

_Pan_, she mouthed. The woman pulled her hood farther over her head and turned away to leave. Gohan threw down the mic and jumped off stage after her, but by the time he reached the edge of the garden, she'd disappeared. The music ended slowly, softly. His daughter ran up behind him and grabbed his arm, confused and worried. "Daddy? Are you okay?" she asked. He looked down at her, lost in his memories. Her face, her clothes, her voice, even her personality was exactly how it was supposed to be. Exactly as he remembered the little girl's counterpart when he'd met her. "Daddy?"

Videl walked up and touched his other arm. "She said she misses you," she said gently. "And she gave us this, just as she promised in high school." Videl motioned to the notebook in her arm. Gohan gazed at the notebook, still lost, until he let his eyes travel up Videl's arm and to her eyes.

"You know, there's not a happy ending in there," he said softly. He could feel the other Z Fighters' eyes on his back, but he didn't care. "Mage never had a real happy ending. Not like us." Videl smiled knowingly.

"I know what you want to do," she replied. "And I want you to know, if you want to do it, there's still one wish that we didn't use… you know, back then." She grinned as her husband's eyes widened. "They're in your parents' house in the kitchen cupboard." Gohan scooped Pan up into his arms and took off for Mount Pouz.

-

Outside Goku and Chichi's house, the dragonballs pulsed brightly, humming their eerie note. Pan shifted her weight from foot to foot nervously. "How do I do this?" she asked. Gohan bent down behind her and took her hands in his. He pulled them forward and spread her fingers out. Pan took a deep breath and gazed into the glowing orange orbs. Her heart thumped with them, banging against her chest.

"Call him out," her father said softly. She nodded and straightened her arms.

"Shenron, um… come out!" she said. Gohan laughed.

"You have to sound intimidating."

Pan knitted her eyebrows together; a stern, concentrated frown pulling at her lips. "Shenron! Come out and grant my wish!" she barked loudly. Gohan raised his eyebrows and smiled. A bright light twisted and spiraled into the pitch black sky, forcing Pan against her father's chest. She blamed the weakness on the wind. Gohan smiled and wrapped his arms protectively around her waist as Shenron solidified and glared down at them.

"_Who awakened me from my slumber?_" he boomed. Pan trembled at the large, deep voice, but she took a long breath and glared right back at him.

"I did!" she shouted.

"_Then state your single wish. I will grant any one within my power._"

Pan looked back at her father. He nodded once, confirming her unasked question. She turned back to the dragon. "I wish my father's counterpart from the original timeline, the one he calls 'Majunior,' a happy future." Shenron's eyes glowed bright crimson.

"_It has been done. Farewell._" The dragon disappeared with a crack of lightning, back into the balls. The dragonballs lifted off the ground and twirled in a circle before shooting off to seven corners of the Earth.

Pan released a breath she'd been holding and looked back at her father. He hugged her tightly and scooped her up to spin her around. She laughed and hugged him back, enjoying being in her daddy's arms, as always. When he finally stopped, she calmed down and pulled away to look into his eyes. "Did I do a good thing, Daddy?" she asked. Gohan grinned and held her hand, pressing it to his lips for a little kiss.

"A very good thing. I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you, Panny." Pan grinned triumphantly.

"So… you can make _any_ wish with the dragonballs?" she asked, seemingly innocent. Gohan chuckled.

"Just about," he replied. "But, there's one thing I can do without needing to wish for it." Pan blinked.

"What's that?"

"I… can… eatmydaughter!" he shouted and chewed on her arm playfully. Pan squealed and wiggled to get away, but Gohan as too strong. The two ended up falling into the long grass to stare at the night sky. "You remember what I told you about him, didn't I, Pan?" he asked softly.

"He's a hero," she replied, "Just like Grandpa and Grandma and Papa Hercule and Mama and Uncle Goten and Trunks and Bulma and Veggie and Krillen and 18 and everybody we know." She looked over at Gohan, who was watching the sky with that lost expression on his face again. "And Mirai and… Future me, right?" He looked back at her, feeling her breath on his nose.

"And present you," he replied. "You're a hero, too." She smiled and curled into his chest. She looked up at the sky in time to see a shooting star.

"When will he come back?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

"He's already here," Gohan replied. "He never left, not once. Even when I was a kid, he didn't leave. But when he's ready to show himself again, he'll do it. He's done it before. He'll help us, he'll help you, he'll help Mama… everyone. Like he always does. He and Mirai and little Future You."

Pan smiled at the thought. Then another one popped into her head, "How long will he stay here, watching over us?" she asked.

Up in the trees, a lavender haired man was perched on a branch next to a raven haired one. The cloaked woman from the garden landed softly and silently on a branch next to her father. She pulled her hood down and leaned against him, putting her head on his shoulder. He leaned his head on hers and held her hand. "For as long as it takes," he said softly. He smiled.

Another shooting star crossed the sky.

The End.

-

Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing. Your thoughts, compliments, and opinions have helped me so much while writing this story. If not for you, _Impasse_ and _Finesse_ would have never happened.

For those of you who wanted a sequel, I'm sorry to say there's nothing following this. However, I do have a pre-prequel in progress, _Pavisse_. You can find it on my profile. However, I will not be posting the chapters as I write them like I did this story and its prequel. I will post the chapters at a steady pace as soon as I'm done writing all of them. I don't know when that will be, so keep your eyes open.

Thank you all again.

/~drtrunksbriefs


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